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Have a little chef in the family? Then you will love The Muppets Kitchen with Cat Cora

I have a little chef in my family, well really actually two. My son and daughter are obsessed with baking and trying to help me whip something up in the kitchen. Last week when I was invited by Disney to attend the  premiere of the new online video series, The Muppets Kitchen with Cat Cora, designed for budding little chefs and moms, I jumped at the opportunity. I headed to the Disney Studios and was in for a treat!

The Muppets Kitchen with Cat Cora is a fun cooking  show geared for kiddos and their families. The show is entertaining and features fun cooking tips for the entire family and tips on pleasing even the pickiest of little eaters. One of the things I learned from Cat, who is a mom to little ones herself, is to not sneak food in. She believes in educating children about their food choices. Cat gave out great tips. My favorite and one that I immediately put into practice is on how to introduce new food to your children. She believes that you encourage your kids to get out and try new foods at least once. If they don't like it, they don't have to eat it again but they at least have to try it out once. I sat down with my daughter before heading out to dinner this past weekend and encouraged her to try asparagus and salmon. She tried both and discovered that she liked asparagus but not salmon. It's a great way to have the little ones expand their taste buds!

We sat down and watched an episode last night with the kiddos and they loved it. It is a great show and the site is full of cooking tips, recipes, etc.. It is a great place for moms to check out for fun and easy recipes for the entire family. 
You can watch the series on DisneyFamily.com or Disney.Go.com

Halloween Roundup: Guest post- Seaworld Spooktacular

There are so many fun places to visit this Halloween Season and Seaworld's Spooktacular is one you do not want to miss.Today's guest post comes from my friend Katie, from OCmomactivities.com, who shares all the not so spooky details!

One of the biggest benefits to living in Southern California when raising kids is the constant seasonal activities and the Halloween season is no exception!


We headed down to the Sea World San Diego Halloween Spooktacular and I'm so glad we did! This was our first year going and I know we will go again next year because it was a great experience for the whole family.

In terms of scale, it's not as big of an event, but is still pretty cool. I would have liked to have seen more strategic planning of the traffic flow for the dozen or so trick or treat stations but the creativity and quality of the treats far surpassed my expectations! I absolutely LOVED the baby banana's followed by the individual peanut butter dipping cups!!! What a cool way to run with a theme! (P.S. - Sea World can I have a job in your marketing department? I can't think of anything more fun than organizing things like that! Just kidding.)

Another neat touch was the employees handing out Believe (Shamu) pencils just after exiting the park.

The boys donned their NASA astronaut and Clone Trooper costumes for the event and Sea World provided the trick or treat bags. The event runs weekends from 1-6pm until the end if this month and is included with your admission for the day.


Definitely make time to head down there if you haven't yet this season!

To read more about Katie's adventures head here. 

Guest Post- Saving California's State Parks

Do you know about Proposition 21?

Michele Whiteaker is a blogging friend of mine over at FunOrangeCountyParks.com. At a recent event, she alerted me to an important proposition vote on the November ballot concerning our state parks. I asked her to write a guest post, so I could encourage my readers to get out and vote!

Hi Fans of DayTrippingMom!

Aracely is the best, isn't she?  Tromping all over Southern California and beyond to give us the scoop on great day trips to take with our kids!  (Plus, she's really nice in real life.)

In a nutshell - voting YES ON 21 will provide a stable, adequate source of funding for our ailing state parks.  You would pay $18 each year on your vehicle registration -- and your vehicle becomes your admission ticket to California State Parks. If you drive up to a state park in your vehicle with current registration, you get in for "free."  Since it costs $10-$15 in day use fees now - it only takes 2 visits to get your money's worth. It's the BEST deal on an annual pass around!!!

There are some who would say: "But I don't use the parks, why should I pay?"

• C’mon. It’s $18 dollars A YEAR.
• Don’t you think you might go at least once after you put in your $18 investment into a Trust Fund for the people of California and beyond?  I hope you do.
• Once we lose these parks, this wildlife, these open spaces — they will be gone forever. We can’t take that chance.
• You must know some families with kids — or friends — who make use of the parks. It’s a Good Samaritan thing to do. I think giving friends (or even strangers) the gift of connecting to nature is very honorable.
• If you are already paying for an annual pass, you’ll actually save money.

My favorite explanation on WHY this is important comes in the form the  a YouTube video above "45 Reasons to Vote Yes on Prop. 21" by Folk4Parks.org. 

"I'm voting for Prop 21 because it solves the California State Parks funding problem once and for all. For a relatively small portion of the total California budget, Prop. 21 ensures that all of our park system is protected and preserved. And that the beauty and history of our state parks are exempt from having to prove their value on an annual basis." -Christopher Grant Ward (Folk4Parks.org)

If you want to learn more, you can read my long-winded (but entertaining) posts:

• I Care About California State Parks, Do You? (Sept 2010)
  
• Pretend I'm Schoolhouse Rock (Feb 2010)

Watch more videos from Folk4Parks.org.  Or better yet, follow Yes for State Parks on Facebook and Twitter for the latest news. For more information on Prop. 21, visit www.yesforstateparks.com or email info@yesforstateparks.com.

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A big hug and thanks to all of you who receive my email blasts or subscribe to the feed! I will be changing servers and revamping the site and will be moving to a new blogging format. If you would like to continue receiving the emails, please come back Thursday or Friday to Daytrippingmom.com and resign up for the emails/RSS Feed!

I am revamping the site and can't wait to share the new look of it! It will be the same blog, just a new cleaner look. Thank you all for reading and your support. I love receiving your emails, questions and am so grateful to have such amazing readers! Thanks again for all of your support!

Halloween Roundup: Legoland's Brick or Treat Party Nights

Last Saturday I packed a bag and headed south to Legoland to experience their spooktacular  Halloween Party. Legoland's Brick or Treat Party Nights are held every Saturday night in October. The kids put on their costumes and we hit the park. Brick or Treat Party Nights are not so scary and are perfect for your little ones.

The Halloween Party features a costume party, dance stations to boogie the night away, live entertainment and of course Trick or Treating on the Brick or Treat Trail.  The kiddos headed right for the Trick or Treat Trail and loaded their bags not only with candy but other fun treats, including a free kid's meal to Chipotle! They had a blast trekking on the trail on a quest for their next treat. We also were able to sneak in a couple of rides and some dancing. We had an incredibly fun time and were pretty much wiped out at the end of the night. I always say that a fun night ends with kids crashing before leaving the parking lot and last Saturday was most definitely a fun night!

The best part of Legoland's Brick or Treat Party Nights is that they are included with the price of admission. If you have are a member, this special night is absolutely free! If you have been planning on visiting Legoland, make sure to pay a visit on a Saturday this October, and be prepared for quite a treat!

Legoland's Brick or Treat Party Nights will be held every Saturday in October from 5pm to 9pm.
To learn more about the party or about Legoland head here.

Halloween Roundup : Mickey's Halloween Party at Disneyland

I love this time year and all the fun that Halloween brings. This week I will be featuring all of the local Halloween treats that you do not want to miss! I wanted to kick off our week with Mickey's Halloween Party.

I had the opportunity to take the family to Mickey's Halloween Party this past Friday night and let me just say that we had a fantastic time! This year Mickey's Halloween Party moved from Disney California Adventure to Disneyland. At first, I almost couldn't believe that this fun party could get any better but guess what? It did!

Real Live Scarecrows

Disneyland will host Mickey's Halloween Party every Tuesday and Friday in addition to Halloween Night. It is the one Halloween Event that you do not want to miss. Let me tell you why: First and foremost for the kiddos are the trick or treat stations. They are everywhere! My kiddos were in candy heaven (don't worry there are healthy treats at most stations). My favorite part of Mickey's Halloween Party is the special fireworks show.  It is in my opinion the best fireworks show of the year and you can only watch it during Mickey's Halloween Party. My kids love the dance stations. They are fun for the entire family and the live entertainment will have you dancing the night away.

This year you can also enter the park, three hours before the party begins, allowing for plenty of time to explore the attractions. Mickey's Halloween Party is also host to two very fun parades. I have to say that my absolute favorite part of the entire night is that the Halloween Party feels exclusive. Because there is a limited number of tickets, it really feels like a private party and that means little to no wait on most rides. There are not that many people around and you are able to enjoy all of the rides without much of a wait. After the fireworks show, we were able to just walk up and ride Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters and Pirates of the Caribbean. We could have done much more but we were tired from all of the dancing and trick or treating.

Dancing away at Club Skellington

Mickey's Halloween Party has become a tradition for our family and we look forward to it each  year. This was our 4th year in a row and in my opinion the best one yet.


To learn more about the event or to purchase tickets head here.

Meet our new sponsor: Newport Landing Whale Watching

I wanted to introduce our newest sponsor, Newport Landing Whale Watching and sports fishing in Newport Beach.

Newport Landing offers great Whale Watching tours at a low price. The month of October is perfect for blue whale watching. Starting in November and in  December, the gray whales start up their migration. There are various cruises throughout the week. You can head here for a half off coupon on their whale watching tours. 

Stay tuned for other discounts and giveaways.

To learn  more about Newport Landing head here.

Best advice for new and expecting mamas

Last week, I had the opportunity to participate in a chat on the best advice for new and expecting mamas at TheMotherhood.com sponsored by AVENT. I had a great time and it made me think back to that time in my life when I didn't know what to expect and those first few months of being a new mom and feeling like I didn't know anything. Don't get me wrong, I sometimes feel like I don't know anything when it comes to this whole motherhood thing, but after two kiddos, I feel much more comfortable.

I was able to chat with some amazing mom bloggers and was hosted by Dr. Jen Trachtenberg, who happens to be a mom herself. We discussed everything from resting during pregnancy to the sleepless nights that come with a newborn. We also discussed some of the best advice that we received as new moms. I wanted to share some of the highlights and best advice from our chat.

•  One of my favorite pieces of advice to give mommies is listen to all the advice but only do what you feel is best for your families. (MommyBKnowsBest)
• The best advice I got was to take a little time for ME every day. It's easy to get lost in the minutia of caring for someone else (and everyone else!). (RookieMomHeath)
•  from Dr. Jen- One thing that's really important to do after you give birth is to find that right pediatrician for you and your family. To start with, ask for recommendations from friends/family and meet with a few in your area to see who you hit it off with - because it's hopefully going to be a long-lasting relationship! Remember, you're looking not just for an expert to take care of your child when they're sick, but also a parenting partner.

These are just some of the tidbits from our chat. To read more head here.

This was a sponsored chat from TheMotherhood and AVENT. 

Winners!

Happy Sunday! Let's start off the new week with some winners...

The winner of the OC Zoo and Irvine Park RR giveaway is comment #26

`        Elizabeth said...

My 3 kids love going to the park. The zoo is a extra bonus. Thanks for the giveaway. and the goodie bag from Stonyfield goes to comment #27 robin said... YUUUMMMM !! We have done a huge overhaul to our eating habits in our household and greek yogurt is a very welcome addition to that .. what a treat to get to see all that can be done with it as a substitution :) and the winner to the Irvine Park Railroad Pumpkin Patch is ...comment #6 meredith said... We LOVE the Pumpkin Patch!!!! It's always great family fun for everyone. Please email me at mom@daytrippingmom.com with your info.  Please email me within 48 hours. If I have not heard back from you, I will reselect winners. Thank you all for entering and stay tuned for some fun giveaways!

Orange County Zoo Toddler Classes and giveaway!

Happy Friday everyone! I hope you are all ready to enjoy this first weekend in October.

I'm a big supporter of the local parks and zoos. I am a big fan of the Orange County Zoo, which is located inside Irvine Regional Park. It is a fun smaller zoo and it is a big hit with my kiddos. The Orange County Zoo offers classes for the kiddos year round. If you have toddlers, you definitely do not want to miss out on this class. The zoo has space available in their October 14th class, Bats, Cats & Spiders from 10am to 11am for 3 to y year olds. The class is $5 and it covers one adult. You have to register to be able to participate. To register call 714-973-6846.

To learn more about the zoo head here. 

I have a quick little giveaway that will run until Sunday. Enter to win a four pack of tickets to the OC Zoo and a four pack of tickets to the Irvine Park Railroad for a fun afternoon or morning. Just leave a comment letting me know why you love or would love to visit the OC Zoo and you will be entered. Good luck!