Adventures In Mommyhood...

Although Summertime is usually a time to take the family on long, adventurous road trips and so forth, as a mommy of young twins, going to the market with my boys can be an adventure all in itself. Keeping this in mind, my husband and I decided to try to search for a theme park to take the boys to that they would enjoy. We knew Disneyland would be a bit overwhelming (for all of us!) even though we have taken the boys there several times and we love it, we were determined to find a place that was on a smaller scale. Less crowds, short lines, few height requirements and so forth. In my mommy brain I thought, "Wow, does a place like this even exist?" I knew I would be a wild goose chase for the next few days trying to locate a place like this that was local (or at least continue to dream about it in my mind).

Well on the second day of searching I found it! A mini amusement park for toddlers and young kids. Too good to be true? I did my research of course and realized that this was a really great place for us to take the boys! I was so excited to share this with my husband that I nearly tripped over some monster truck toy cars just to inform him (or brag) about my latest discovery and next family outing.

 When we arrived to the amusement park, we were greeted with a huge sign that said FREE PARKING. Now if you have read my previous blog you understand how much this means to me. It's like finding a twenty dollar bill when you're doing the laundry. The admission was also reasonable especially for a family of 4. As we entered the gates, I noticed how clean, safe and organized it was (I never use to worry too much about these things until I became a mom).  There were a variety of rides for the boys to get on. My absolute most favorite thing was that they could ride on all of the rides! Also the lines were very, very short. My husband and I rode with them of course and we all had a blast. I also love seeing other families out with their little ones as well. There was a great family atmosphere which is also important to me as a mommy. The food was a bit pricey but I always come prepared with snacks, mini lunchables and juice boxes so we didn't spend too much on food. Over all it was a great day and we plan on going back before the summer ends!

 So even though some family trips may seem like an adventure to plan, its worth a try because you never know what you will discover. Till next time... be blessed!


 P.S.  For those of you that wanted to know where this place is located, it is in the city of Buena Park, California and it is called Adventure City. It is not to far from Knott's Berry Farm..Enjoy

Don't Forget About Your Community....

While in the midst of planning activities for the family, I came across a huge variety of FREE (one of my favorite words ever!) family activities that take place just around the corner (literally). Out local community center puts on many events that are great for the entire family. I subscribed to their weekly updates and bookmarked the website. I should have known better but I completely forgot about the community centers! It is a fantastic resource for economical family fun days. We are planning on attending the "Concerts in the Park" next week and probably the "Movies in the Park" the following week (of course I will write a post about it). Oh, and did I mention that those two events have FREE admission. 


  So if you are searching for a variety of activities to do that will save you money, check out your local community center. They also have many classes that you can sign up for that are pretty reasonable. I believe that some centers will offer a discount for local community members. The classes that are offered range from swimming to cooking to dancing to play camps. How awesome! There are also many FREE events at the local library for infants, toddlers, and older kids. They host family reading nights, storytelling afternoons, and more. This is something I personally love (because of the teacher in me). So I can't wait to check those out as well.


   I also noticed that the center offers various trips the whole family can enjoy at affordable prices. For example, one trip was to a major league baseball game and another was to a popular beach destination. That's a good way to save money and gas.


   So now I know for future reference as well as for future summers to come: I will not forget about my community center resources. Come to think of it, I'll be sure to check out the events offered throughout the year as well. Why not, right? Till next time... be blessed!

Summer Kick Off Backyard Celebration!

 Ok.. so it is a mini tradition for our family to have a summer kick off backyard celebration to welcome summertime, family trips, tank tops, flip flops, and most of all summertime memories. The celebration is very simple and low key. It is just for our family and sometimes grandma and grandpa attend and that's about it.
  For food we have a barbeque of course! Hot dogs, chicken, and hot links are the family favorites. Side dishes include potato salad and baked beans. I also like to bake cookies (the kids like to help) for the dessert to keep it simple. The meal wouldn't be complete without the famous strawberry lemonade with fresh fruit! So tasty and refreshing... perfect to start the summer.
  The boys love to play in their kiddie pool with their toys while we hang out on the shaded patio with the radio blasting (not loud enough to disturb the neighbors of course). After the boys play for a while we like to try to make a simple summer craft. I usually get my craft ideas from an awesome website called Amazing Moms.
 We usually end the celebration with some ice cream in our cute ice cream party bowls that I was able to pick up from our local Party City for half off. 
 All in all the day is fun and stress free for everyone (which is important to us moms). I always try to remember to take pictures at all of our events so I can make scrapbooks and albums to show the boys when they get older. Creating life lasting memories is so important to me no matter how busy we get. Time sure flies and we can't get these moments back.
  So... if you want to try out a mini summer kick of your own I hope this helps. There is really no way you can go wrong. It can be as simple or as elaborate as you want. Spending time with family is the focus and this is a great summer family activity that doesn't have to cost a lot of money.

 Mini Summer Celebration Helpful Tips:
 !. Make sure you have the sunscreen ready for everyone especially the kids. There are really great sunscreen products that even stay on when the kids are in the pool. They can be found at your local grocery stores.
 2. Make sure to also have your camera ready. As you can see I am big on creating memories and having a camera by my side helps to ensure that I capture these events.
3. If you want to display some decorations, Party City has great sales on summer party decor right before the summer begins. If you plan ahead of time you can save money on some really cute theme party ware for your celebration.

Ideas, Ideas, Ideas....

Well, well, well... Summer is finally here and we are so very excited. Summer, for us, is a time when we get to do so many enjoyable activities as a family. However, it takes some creativity to make sure that my 3 year old twins have a blast and not a melt down. It amazes me how much time I have to put into planning even the simplest activities. My husband and I search the web, bounce ideas around, and even make lists that display the pros and cons. It can be a job in itself.

  I'm not sure if it's just me but I find it difficult at times to find activities for us to participate in that are not only family friendly (or should I say toddler friendly) but also inexpensive and entertaining. So now, after such planning, I have planned some fun adventures for my family and would like to share our experiences in hopes of helping other busy moms and dads formulate ideas to entertain their little ones without always breaking the bank!

 In my blogs to follow I will discuss these activities whether they are very simple or more extreme. I am still planning more activities so the process will be ongoing. Some of our summer activities include: regional parks, drive in movies, mini theme parks, the zoo, bowling, simple outside water activities, and of course our summer wouldn't be complete without a trip to Disneyland, and much, much more!