Crystal Cove Cottages

I usually blog about daytrips , outings and events. Today I wanted to blog about a place some of you may or may not know about- Crystal Cove Cottages in Crystal Cove, Newport Beach. The cottages are state owned and offer you an opportunity to stay in a beachfront bungalow at a very reasonable rate from one to seven nights. Think of it as camping on the beach in style. In fact to reserve a spot in Crystal Cove you must use the reservation system used by all California campgrounds and parks- Reserve America.

The cottages are extremely popular and you can rent them on the first day of the month at 8am. You can sign on to the system and start trying at 7:50. If you want to make sure to snag one a night or two make sure to browse through the website for the cottages and let the agent know the one you are interested in. You can also call and see if there are cancellations for perhaps a last minute outing or book a cancellation online through Reserve America. You make a reservation 6 months in advanced. For example if you were to book a cottage on Mar 1st , you would be booking for your stay in September.

The Cottages are newly restored and are either Individual or Dorm-style Cottages Crystal Cove Beach Cottages offer gorgeous ocean views, charming historic details, and a glimpse of a uniquely Southern Californian beach community from a bygone era. Located in the heart of Crystal Cove State Park's 3.5 miles of pristine coastline, the Historic District first developed as a South Seas movie set due to its seclusion and tropical aura. The community thrived and became beloved for its relaxed, friendly atmosphere and picturesque landscape, and in 1979, the Crystal Cove Historic District was placed on the National Register of Historic Places.

You can stay in one of 11 Individual or 3 Dorm-style Cottages. Located directly on the beach or overlooking it from a bluff top, each cottage has been painstakingly restored and furnished to recreate Crystal Cove's unique historic beach culture and ambiance. Reservations are available year-round.

I know that we are facing some tough economic times and the thought of renting a beach home or vacation sounds like a far fetched dream for many- but thanks to Crystal Cove you can afford a beachfront retreat for around the same price as spending a night at your local Marriott. Rentals are around $180.00 for a flat rate of 4 people. This does not include children 4 and under. There is an additional charge for more than 4 people over the age of 4.

I'm planning on renting a little cottage for one night.. I hope you can also and spend an unforgettable day or days at the beach.

For additional information click here and for reservations click here

Reserve America

Reservations 1-800-444-7275

Customer Service 1-800-695-2269

Target Free for Families- Orange County Museum of Art (OCMA)

The Orange County Museum of Art is offering free admission on the second Sunday of the month thanks to a generous contribution from Target. The Target Free Second Sunday of the month is a great way for families to explore art together. The Target Free Sunday's will offer all day family friendly activities and offer a unique opportunity to spend time as a family. Here is a calendar of the upcoming family events. TARGET FREE SECOND SUNDAYS 2009 CALENDAR Sunday, March 8, 2009 11-4 pm California Dreaming View contemporary artwork by California artists and create hands-on projects that explore the symbols and images of California culture. Stay and enjoy live entertainment by Razzle Bam Boom - a musical performance that teaches children how the art form of Rock n' Roll has developed and changed through the decades. Free tours of the of the 2008 California Biennial will also be available. Sunday, April 12, 2009 11-4 pm Art in Motion Experience art through motion! Activities include kinetic sculptures, action art, and live performances. Stay for family-friendly entertainment and free tours of Moving Images: Scan to Screen, Pixel to Projection. Sunday, May 10, 2009 11-4 pm Color, Form & Flora Create expressive and colorful representations of the natural world inspired by works in the exhibition Illumination: The Paintings of Georgia O'Keeffe, Agnes Pelton, Agnes Martin, and Florence Miller Pierce. Stay for live entertainment and free guided tours of the current exhibitions. This event is held in conjunction with the annual Orange County Imagination Celebration. Sunday, June 14, 2009 11-4 pm Art & Animation Discover the world of animation as you build your own kinetic sculptures, create simple animation and more! Entertainment includes animated children's films and free tours of the exhibition Moving Images: Scan to Screen, Pixel to Projection. Sunday, July 12, 2009 11-4 pm Fun with Flowers Create abstract and colorful floral representations inspired by works in the Illumination exhibition. Stay for family-friendly entertainment and free tours of Illumination: The Paintings of Georgia O'Keeffe, Agnes Pelton, Agnes Martin, and Florence Miller Pierce. Sunday, August 9, 2009 11-4 pm Sizzling Summer Fun! Create cool projects inspired by the summer heat. Take a free guided tour of Illumination: The Paintings of Georgia O'Keeffe, Agnes Pelton, Agnes Martin, and Florence Miller Pierce and stay for the live entertainment. Sunday, September 13, 2009 11-4 pm The Learning Curve Make fun and funky projects just in time to get back into the school groove! Create unique journals, bookmarks and other academically-inspired art. Don’t miss the free guided tours of Moving Images: Scan to Screen, Pixel to Projection. Target Free Second Sundays is generously sponsored by Target. This is an excellent way to spend a Sunday and the best part is that you can enjoy all of it for free. For additional inf0rmation click here Orange County Museum of Art (OCMA) Museum Hours & Information 850 San Clemente Drive Newport Beach, California 92660 Phone | 949-759-1122 Admissions Desk: ext. 243 Fax | 949-759-5623 info@ocma.net

Orange County's Greak Park Ice Skating Rink- and Yes it's Free!!

I received a great tip from reader Gina about Orange County's Great Park Ice Skating Rink. To celebrate the Grand Opening of the ice skating facilities from Feb 14-Mar 15 the ice skating rink will offer free admission and rentals. The rink will be open on Fridays,Saturdays and Sundays.

SKATE SESSION TIMES 11:00 am � 10:00 pm (sessions begin at the start of every hour) 80 skaters per hourly session

PRICE AND SKATE EQUIPMENT Admission and skate rentals are FREE to the public. Helmets are available upon request at no charge. Guests are welcome to bring their own skates and helmets.

ADVANCED TICKETING POLICY To accommodate the requests of our many visitors, the Orange County Great Park will be providing a limited number of advanced tickets on a first come, first serve basis for each weekend (Friday, Saturday, and Sunday). A stand-by line will be available for the remaining skate session tickets, on a first come, first serve basis. Visitors may request a maximum of 6 advanced tickets per weekend. Request for advanced tickets can only be made for the current weekend session (Friday � Sunday) and must be done in person at the ice rink ticket counter. If skater is not present at the start of the hourly skate session, advanced tickets may not be honored at the discretion of the ice rink staff.

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This is too good to pass up!! The ice skating rink is located in Orange County's Great Park which is located at the former El Toro Marine Station in Irvine. For driving directions click here. Hope you all have a great weekend!!

Free Admission- San Bernardino County Museum

The San Bernardino County Museum invites visitors to visit the museum and enjoy free admission the first Sunday of the month. The museum is a perfect place for the entire family and you won't have to spend a single dime since parking is also free. It's a great deal!! By the way I forgot to mention that the museum also happens to run it's Family Day program on the same day. For additional information and exhibit information click here San Bernardino County Museum 2024 Orange Tree Lane Redlands, CA 92374

R2374

• Open Tuesdays through Sundays and holiday Mondays, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
• Holiday Mondays include: Martin Luther King Day, President's Day, Memorial Day, Labor Day and Columbus Day.
• Closed most Mondays, Thanksgiving Day, Dec. 25, and Jan. 1

IHOP National Pancake Day- Free Pancakes for everyone!!

This doesn't really have anything to do with getting to know Southern California but it is an event that your kids will probably love and it's free!! IHOP is celebrating Pancake Day next Tuesday, February 24, 2009 from 7am to 10pm by giving everyone a short stack of their delicious pancakes for free. All that they ask is that you consider giving a donation to the Children's Miracle Network. It's a fun event and it's for a great cause. Forget about dinner or breakfast next Tuesday and enjoy some pancakes!!! For additional information click here

Irvine Park Railroad Celebration

The Irvine Park Railroad will be celebrating it's 13th year anniversary by rolling back it's prices to 1996. The railroad will be offering $2.00 train rides,$2 bounce house tickets, $2 face painting and snacks. We had the opportunity to attend last year and had a great time. The kiddos also loved the the free balloons and balloon animals. It can get a little busy so make sure to get there as early as possible or towards the end of the day. Park entry fee is $5.00 per vehicle. We always make it a day by packing a picnic and taking a stroll through the OC Zoo.

Saturday February 28th and Sunday March 1st, 2009

10:00 am - 4:00 pm

Irvine Park Railroad

1 Irvine Park Rd.

Orange, CA 92869

Los Angeles Live Steamers Railroad Museum

The Los Angeles Live Steamers Railroad Museum is one place that your kiddos will enjoy. It's located in Griffith Park and is a must if you have little railroad enthusiasts. There are train exhibits that everyone will enjoy and every Sunday the museum operates 7½" gauge model trains for the general public free of charge from 11 am - 3 pm (weather permitting). except for the Sunday before Memorial Day and the first Sunday in October. The gate is open from 10:45 am to 3 pm. Train rides begin at 11 am. The museum is home to Walt Disney's Barn. It's the actual barn that was in Mr. Disney's backyard in Holmby Hills, California. The barn is where Walt , who was a member of the Los Angeles Live Steamers Railroad Museum had his workshop and ran the switches for his home railroad. The barn is open on the third Sunday of each month and features displays of Disney, LALS and railroad related memorabilia. Guided tours are provided by members of the Carolwood Pacific Historical Society. The museum and railroad are open every Sunday weather permitting from 11am to 3pm and admission and train rides are FREE of charge. For additional information click here Los Angeles Live Steamers Railroad Museum

5202 Zoo Drive Los Angeles, California 90027

Things to do - President's Day

It looks like President's Day might be a wet one- Here are my top 4 picks of places that the kids might enjoy on a rainy holiday and that are either free or almost free. 1. Free Holiday Monday's at the LACMA 2. California Science Center 3. Richard Nixon Library- Free Admission on President's Day 4.Dollar Movie Theaters I hope you have a fabulous President's Day!!! Edited thanks to reader Jannette that informed me that the La Habra Children's Museum is closed today.

Free Admission - Richard Nixon Library- Presidents Day

The Richard Nixon library will be offering free admission on Monday February 16th all day in honor of Presidents Day. It's a perfect place to visit on Presidents Day. My family loves the library. We happen to live in Yorba Linda and always take advantage of the free admission days. I love the exhibits and my kids are crazy about President Nixon's helicopter on display. They also love romping through the gardens. It really is a great place to visit!! For additional info click here

Sea World Fun Card

Our family loves Sea World. It really is a fun place to visit as a family. We usually go early in the year and pay for the Fun Card. What's the fun card you might ask- well pretty much you pay for one day at the park and get the rest of the year for free!! Yes absolutely free!!! We've fully taken advantage of it and loved it. There are so many shows and things for the kiddos to do. My little ones especially loved the Sesame Street Bay of Play.The pass also lets you enjoy spring into the night celebration, summer nights, Halloween celebration and much more. It's a fantastic deal and a steal at $65.00 for adults and $55.00 for a year of fun!! For additional information click here.

Los Angeles Kids Expo

Mark your calendars for this fun event- The Los Angeles Kids Expo will held on Feb 21 & 22 at the Fairplex in Pomona.

Prepare for great fun with your baby, toddler or child at the upcoming Los Angeles Kids Expo. Almost every conceivable entertainment option is available for your little ones: inflatable jumpies and slides, interactive exhibits, hands-on activities, face painting, arts & crafts, balloon artists, kids makeovers and more. It's a smorgasbord of kiddie & baby good times.

Don't forget the "Diaper Derby - where babies race against each other" and magic show, too. Parents, Grandparents and kids will laugh and scream with joy as they watch the stage presentations: kids fashion show, science show, puppet show and more.

For parents, there are exhibitors offering all sorts of schooling options: preschool, private school, homeschool and online options. Parents will find resources on: camps, birthday parties, kids theatre and dance, kids modeling, health & wellness, financial planning and even part time businesses that Mom can do from home. It's a celebration for families. A day of fun and info: Los Angeles Kids Expo, February 21 & 22, Saturday & Sunday , 10 am - 5pm: Fairplex in Pomona, 1101 W. McKinley Avenue, Pomona, CA 91768 (Off of the San Bernardino Freeway 10), Adults $9, seniors over 65 and kids under 5 are free.

for additional info click here

Free- Art Odyssey @ The Getty Villa Malibu

I love to be out with my family on the weekends and I usually try to squeeze something in during the week. The only problem is that it can get expensive. I'm always on the lookout for fun and free things to do with my kids. I found something that I think everyone in your family will enjoy. The Getty Villa in Malibu is hosting Art Odyssey every Saturday and Sunday through the end of the year at 2pm. Admission to the Getty Villa is free and the only thing that you will have to pay for is $10.00 for parking. The Odyssey as you can imagine is also free. The Art Odyssey is a 45 minute gallery program that includes a tour, an art lesson and lots of family time. The program is geared for children 5 years and up. Sign up at the Tour Meeting Place outside the Museum Store beginning 15 minutes before the start of the event. A professional gallery teacher will lead you and a small group of other families into the galleries to explore a group of artworks on a specific theme. You might learn about a day in the life of a hero, meet the gods and goddesses of the ancient world, go on an odyssey with Hercules (the Greek Herakles), or learn about the daily lives of the ancient Romans. Then you'll use what you see as inspiration for a fun hands-on activities such as art, writing, or drama projects. After your Art Odyssey, your gallery teacher will suggest other family-friendly ways to explore the collection, so that your and your family can have a great day at the Villa. Admission to the The Getty Villa is free but you will need an advanced ticket. To get your hands on one of these tickets and for additional information click here.

Atlantis Play Center

Atlantis Play Center is an oldie but definitely a goodie!! My hubby went there as a child and now he is able to relive his childhood by taking our kiddos. Atlantis Park is located in the city of Garden Grove and is a city park designed specifically for kiddos. People come from all over Southern California to enjoy the slides and other old school fun. THE BEST PART IS THAT ADULTS ARE NOT ALLOWED WITHOUT KIDS AND KIDS ARE NOT ALLOWED WITHOUT ADULTS!! you can breathe a sigh of relief and relax a little with the kids.

Kids will have a blast here playing on the concrete animals or sliding down the sea serpent slide. All of the other expected playground amenities are here as well, from swings to climbers. There are plenty of areas for picnicking under the trees and a picnic area for parties or large groups. The park is enclosed and the kiddos can roam around in a safe area.

The Atlantis Play Center is located at: 13630 Atlantis Way Garden Grove, CA 92844 (714) 892-6015

Hours of Operation: Tuesday through Friday: From 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Saturday: From 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Sunday: From 12:00 noon to to 4:00 p.m.

Admission is $1.00 and children under two are free. Your kiddos will love this place and so will you- And you can't beat the value - all this fun for only one dollar!!Make sure to pack a picnic lunch and be prepared for a good time.

For additional information click here

Monday Morning Mommy Movies

If you have real little ones you know it's almost impossible to go to the movies. I've always read in a couple of parent magazines of the mommy and me movie deals but never was able to actually find one in the So Cal area. I've doing some research and I finally found a program that is geared for those with little ones. Pacific Theaters offers Monday Morning Mommy Movies offers a chance for all you sleep deprived mom of babies or toddlers every Monday morning. Bring your crying baby and stroller for a chance to see a first run grown up movie. No one will mind if your baby cries because chances are their little one will be fussing along. The Monday Morning Mommy Movies is offered every Monday at 11am except on holidays at 4 local theaters. 1. Pacific Theatres at the Grove 189 The Grove Drive Los Angeles, CA 90036 (323) 692-0829 2.Glendale 18

322 Americana Way

Glendale, CA 91210

(866) 722-9790

3. Paseo 14 336 East Colorado Blvd. Pasadena, CA 91101 (626) 568-8888 4. Beach Cities 16 Cinemas 831 S. Nash Street El Segundo, CA 90245 (310) 607-0007

Free Admission to the Kidseum/Bowers Museum

There is nothing better than free admission to a great place. I promised I would bring you one post a week of something free. Here is the tip of the week. The first Sunday of the month, pack a bag and head to the Bowers Museum and Kidseum. Both of these fantastic places are free the First Sunday of the month thanks to generous funding from Target. The kidseum is a perfect place for the kiddos and the Bowers is perfect for anyone. You will love it and the deal is even sweeter because you will be able to do something fun with your kiddos without spending a dime. for additional information click here

Target Free Saturday at the La Habra Children's Museum

I live for the weekends. I love hanging out with my family and being able to run around town visiting fun places. I start planning ahead early in the week. If you are like me then mark your calendar because one of my favorite places- The La Habra Children's museum is offering free admission thanks to Target. If you haven't been able to make a visit this would be a perfect opportunity. Your kiddos and wallet will thank you.