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Pre-Thanksgiving Trip to California Central Coast: Elephant Seals + Moonstone Beach

December 2, 2017 No Comments

When we returned to the Hearst Castle Visitors Center, we watched the “Building The Dream” movie that is included with the tour admission price. It was shown on a huge screen and was very well done.

After the movie we went to Sebastian’s for lunch which is located just across PCH. Had to have the kids take a picture in front of this funny sign!

We ordered one cheeseburger and one tri-tip sandwich and fries. This ended up being enough food for all us since D had a headache at this point and was not that hungry.

After lunch we went back to our campsite and rested for a bit. Feeling refreshed, D was ready to go to the Elephant Seal Rookery.

Sunbathing seals! It is always so neat to see animals in their natural habitat.

Next we went to Moonstone Beach.

These small colorful rocks were everywhere!

Next we went back to Cambria and poked around some of the cute little shops.

This is what happens when I have asked the kids to pose one too many times for pictures!

Dinner was at Main Street Grill in Cambria. This place has the same owners as Firestone Grill in San Luis Obispo, which we had enjoyed before. Although the food is good, with large portions, beware that it is cash only and that they charge 25 cents for bottled water.

Family Field Trips, Uncategorized, Vacation

Pre-Thanksgiving Visit to Hearst Castle

December 1, 2017 No Comments

Hearst Castle is one of those places that everyone who lives in California needs to visit once in their lifetime. I had been multiple times, but never with D or the kids. D’s family says he went he was a kid, but he did not remember it.

Can you see the castle on the hill?

You can buy tickets online in advance but I found their reservation fee outrageous so we waited until the day of our tour to buy tickets. We arrived early and bought tickets for the first Grand Rooms tour of the day at 9:00 am with no problem. There is a bus that transports you up the hill to the castle while you listen to narration by Alex Trebek.

Our tour began in front of one of the guesthouses. There were tourists in our group from multiple countries, including Australia!

Unfortunately, the famed Neptune Pool was being renovated–doh! Apparently it was leaking 5,000 gallons of water everyday. The tour guide said it was scheduled to be done by the end of the year, but I am pretty sure it will take longer than that!

La Casa Grande! It was interesting to learn about the corroboration between William Randolph Hearst and his architect, Julia Morgan (a Cal grad!).

It was nice that they had already started decorating for Christmas.

Our tour guide was an amazing fount of knowledge.

The intricate detail that can be found everywhere is so amazing.

After the tour, we were free to wander the grounds.

When you are ready to leave, you go down to the indoor pool and catch a bus at what the tour guide called the “fanciest bus stop in America”.

Walking on gold!

Vacation

Our Pre-Thanksgiving Trip to Central California Coast: Cambria and San Simeon State Beach

November 30, 2017 No Comments

After lunch we made a quick stop for Doc Burnstein’s ice cream at Mojo’s Village Bean in Cambria.

Then we went across the street so I could pick up a mini olallieberry pie at Linn’s.

We enjoyed this post-dinner.

Next we drove to the San Simeon State Park campground. After setting up camp we took a short and easy walk to the beach area.

It was pretty empty, with just a few other visitors.

There were a lot of interesting rocks to look at.

And when there’s rocks near water, rock-throwing is soon to follow.

Vacation

Our Pre-Thanksgiving Trip to California Central Coast: Pismo Beach & Morro Bay

November 29, 2017 No Comments

The kids and I had an entire week off for Thanksgiving. We left for our mini-vacay on Tuesday in an attempt to avoid the holiday traffic.

Our first stop was the Pismo State Beach Butterfly Grove.

I did not have my camera that has a good zoom lens, so this is the closest I could get. Can you see the orange monarchs? These butterflies were not as scary as our last encounter, mostly because they were high up in the trees and we were not in an enclosed area. It is kind of amazing how they all congregate in such a concentrated area.

I made them take a picture with the sun in their eyes.

The mobile monarch gift shop!

Our next stop was just about five minutes north off of PCH, Dinosaur Caves Park.

I was kind of puzzled by the fact that there were more seals than dinosaurs in the Dinosaur Caves Park.

Don’t ask me what this strange squatting was about.

The park has beautiful views!

OK, so there were dinosaur eggs to play in.

We stopped to eat our sandwiches that we packed from home at Morro Bay.

It was unseasonable warm, like mid-80’s. I guess it was in the 90’s back at home. A lot of people were getting food to go from a restaurant that had Crabby Patties on the menu-haha.

We saw some otters that were just chillin’. Again, a zoom lens would have been handy here. After lunch we continued our drive to Cambria and San Simeon.

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HORMEL GATHERINGS Party Trays Review + Giveaway

November 27, 2017 19 Comments

**I received free product in exchange for my honest review.**

I hope everyone had a nice Thanksgiving! We visited D’s side of the family on Thanksgiving Day (more on that trip later) and had a post-Thanksgiving dinner with my side of the family last night. Since we had just returned from our trip to Northern California, I asked my mom if I could bring an easy appetizer to our family dinner. Well, it does not get much easier than a HORMEL GATHERINGS Party Tray!

The Party Trays come in a few different varieties:

Hard Salami & Pepperoni Party Tray (28 oz.): HORMEL Hard Salami, HORMEL Pepperoni, Sargento Cheddar Cheese, Sargento Colby Jack Cheese, Round Crackers

Honey Ham & Turkey Party Tray (28 oz.): HORMEL Honey Ham, HORMEL Smoked Turkey, Sargento Cheddar Cheese, Sargento Colby Jack Cheese, Round Crackers

There is also a Supreme Party Tray that includes olives, if you’re a fan!

I chose to bring the salami and pepperoni tray since my kids are salami fanatics. However, I am sure they would enjoy the ham and turkey as well!

I love how the packaging is so thoughtfully designed. It comes in a a black plastic tray with easily removable labels so it looks classy on the table. The tray itself has compartments for the two packages of crackers, two packages of meat and two packages of cheese so you know where everything goes. I was able to arrange the tray at home and it all stayed in place during our car ride to my parents’ house.

The individual components were all very tasty. The crackers were nice and crisp, the cheese was “real” (not processed cheese product), and the pepperoni and salami both had a nice spicy kick to them. Both the kids and adults had fun making their own little cracker/cheese/meat hors d’oeuvres.

These trays are perfect for an appetizer, but they also work for game day gatherings and noshing in front of the television as we are prone to do during the holidays.

I was able to find pick up my tray at our local Target. They can also be found at Walmart and other retailers. Click here to locate the store nearest you.

I have one coupon to give away so you can try a HORMEL GATHERINGS Party Tray for yourself! My tray ended up being FREE after using this coupon, but the final price depends on the variety and store that you buy it at.

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STEM Made Fun: Ozobot Evo #Ozobot #Ozosquad #Tryazon

November 26, 2017 No Comments

It is kind of amazing to think about how robots are changing the way we live. Schools are all emphasizing STEM and kids are learning how to code at an early age. We recently had the opportunity to try out the Ozobot Evo. My kids were able to play with this tiny robot straight out of the box. They also downloaded the app onto their iPad and were controlling the Ozobot from the iPad without any trouble at all. They had fun making mazes and obstacle courses with blocks and maneuvering the Ozobot through them. I also like how you can draw your own “tracks” for the Ozobot to follow with just regular markers and it changes colors according to the color on the paper!

I always try to look for toys that are fun AND educational, and the Ozobot Evo definitely falls into that category!

Family Field Trips

Nikkei Appreciation Day: UCLA Women’s Basketball v. Baylor

November 20, 2017 No Comments

On Saturday we had free tickets to the UCLA Women’s Basketball game through k’s basketball league. We invited my parents since my dad is a UCLA alum and an avid UCLA sports fan.

It was Nikkei Appreciation Day, so they honored a couple of pioneering Nikkei women basketball players.

The game was pretty exciting. UCLA trailed in the beginning, then pulled ahead. Baylor brought it back to a four point differential, but UCLA kept the lead through the end. According to D, UCLA was ranked #8 and Baylor was #3.

k had fun sitting with her teammates. However, they were not enthusiastic enough to make the Jumbo Tron.

One of k’s teammates participated in a half-time contest. She did not win, but it was close, and I am not sure the other competitor completely followed the rules.

The alumni band was there. We heard the official marching band outside practicing for the UCLA-USC football game that night.

This ended up being practically an all-day event due to horrendous traffic. However, we were home just in time to watch the Cal v. Stanford game (us) and the UCLA v. USC game (my dad).

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The Possibilities Are Endless With Strictly Briks! #Tryazon #Strictlybriks

November 19, 2017 No Comments

We have a lot of Legos at our house, but our kids usually just stick to the model from the box. Strictly Briks is a new line of “briks” that are compatible with Legos, but encourages kids to literally “think outside of the box”.

Sometimes creativity requires a little mess!

There is an array of base plates available, which allows for building tall towers. These girls built a penguin house.

Fun for the whole family!

What makes Strictly Briks unique is that they come in different shapes and materials. For example, they have Creatorz briks, which can be connected on all sides, rather than just the top and bottom. They also have Silicone Briks and Straps that are flexible. As shown in this picture, n made an obstacle course for his Lego minifigures. There are also clear colored briks which add another creative dimension. Strictly Briks can be bought on Amazon, and I would definitely recommend them to expand the possibilities for any Lego fan.

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Start Your Christmas Shopping Now: #MyCanvasOnDemand

November 18, 2017 No Comments

Thanksgiving is fast approaching, and that means it is time to start thinking about Christmas presents. I think photo gifts are always nice for loved ones who do not really need any more “things”. Canvas On Demand has awesome gifts for everyone on your list. Based in Raleigh, NC, @canvasondemand has everything you need to get your shopping done early.

They offer more than just canvas prints. From photo-to-canvas art for parents, Coloring Canvas for kids, and customizable photo gifts, including ornaments & more, Canvas On Demand can help with your holiday shopping list.

For a limited time, they’re offering 60% off your entire order at Canvas On Demand with code USFAM. Select from canvas prints and more! Valid until 12/12/17.