Tamales Tamales

Saturday, located at 22511 Auburn Dale Lake Forest CA, the Field Trip Mom family are selling Pork and Chicken Tamales at one of the largest Orange County community garage sales.  Profits go toward bring our readers more fun and original content supporting great family trips as well as additional giveaways and promotions funded directly by Field Trip Mom.

We are selling them also by the dozen after the sale by email request for a limited time.  Come on over and help support our fundraising event or email us for more information. 

P.S. We strive to provide very little sponsored posts.  Through selling handmade crafts and artisan food sells we are able to maintain this blog. Thank you for your support.

 

Disney Planes Fire and Rescue

Disney's Planes, Dusty Crophopper, is back for a second installment with Planes Fire and Rescue.  With many of the original movies characters and several new friends, Dusty takes in a whole new road to success.  Disclaimer, this is a sponsored post.  We were provided tickets to view the movie in exchange for this review.  All thoughts and opinions are our own.

Planes Fire and Rescue starts with Dusty practicing his racing near his home airport.  The brave little plane is pushing himself to the limits and redlining his engine.  Dusty performs an extreme maneuver by using his speed to race to one of the highest altitudes he has ever seen when he suddenly experiences engine trouble and stalls.  Dusty starts falling out of the sky, he lands but needs help.  After visiting the doctor, Dusty is told that he can no longer race and must keep his engine RPMs under the redline.

Dusty is depressed and scared because if he races, his engine could seize and the type of engine he has is discontinued.  After crashing and wrecking several buildings at his airport, Federal officials shut down his airport because his fire engine friend is old and the airport has no backup fire fighter.  Dusty decides he needs to become fire fighter trained as the backup and takes off for training.

After days of fierce training and trying to prove himself to the Chief Trainer, Dusty finds himself in the middle of a major forest fire.  Dusty and his new fire fighting friends need every ounce of help to avoid the destruction of a National Forest and a newly built Luxury Inn.  During the fierce battle, the fire fighting crew all find themselves in grave danger and ill prepared for a fire of this magnitude.  Can Dusty and team help save the National Forest, the Inn and all of the tourists in the park?  Can Dusty successfully finish his fire training certification and help get his airport reopen?  Go see Planes Fire and Rescue to find out!

The Field Trip Mom family was invited to a prescreening of Planes Fire and Rescue.  This movie was a great sequel to the original with completely new spin to Dusty's adventures.  Excellent new characters, great one liners and a heart warming story make this movie a great summer must see.  Now open in theaters, go out this weekend to see this excellent new Disney movie!  We know you and your family will enjoy it as much as we did.

Knott's Berry Farm Camp Snoopy Parody.

We recently visited Knott's Berry Farm with friends and family. The day was full of fun moments and comfort food. It truly was a fun day. There were so many silly moments that it reminded me of our favorite book, "If You Give A Mouse A Cookie." One of Southern California’s best amusement parks and the most popular book make for a fun post that will make you smile and laugh. I hope you enjoy the parody. My intent is to make you fall in love with two of my favorite things. Disclaimer: FTM received complimentary tickets to the park. No compensation of cash was received. All thoughts and opinions are all my own.

When you go to visit Knott’s Berry Farm chances are that you will want to go to Camp Snoopy. There, you will go on (3) new rides, Charlie Brown’s Kite, Linus Launcher and Pig Pen Mud Buggies.  As you get off Charlie Brown’s ride, you will notice your stomach is hungry, so you will walk over to the fruit stand.  There you will buy a pickle and a drink.

This will remind you that you purchased a dining plan for $29.99 and you can eat all day at Knott’s.  So, you will check your pocket to make sure you still have your voucher.  Just then, your friend will tap you on the shoulder.  That will remind you that you were supposed to meet him and others on the other side of the park.  

You rush to the Churro Factory with him to find your friends.  Standing there, you will smell the freshly made churros.  Your friend will buy one for himself; this will make you hungry for one.  As a good friend, you will buy churros for all of your friends.  Your friends will arrive and all of you will enjoy boysenberry churros together.  Standing there, someone will scream "Let’s go to the Snoopy Unleashed Show."  Everyone will rush over to the theatre to watch Snoopy. 

After the show, you and your friends will want to get some lunch.  You will go over to Sutter’s Fine Fare for some cheeseburgers and fries.  Finishing up your cheeseburger, you will notice it’s time to go to the Big Foot Rapids.  So you will put your cellphone in a safe waterproof container and put your poncho on to avoid getting wet.  Your friends will think you are nuts but get on with you. 

On the way to the ride, you will see the Calico Mine Ride and decided to go there first.  Standing in line, you will want to take a selfie.  So you will remove your cellphone out of the waterproof container to take the picture.  Chances are that if you take a selfie then your friends will want to take one too.  Inside the Calico Mine ride the flames will scare you but the thought of finding gold in the mine will make you curious.  As the ride comes to an end, you will wonder more about finding gold.

Just then, you will remember that the park has a Geode Store that sells rocks, gems and minerals.  This will make you want to take in one last ride and head for the store.  You look across the walkway and see the Timber Mountain Log Ride.  So you will grab your friends and run to get in line.  Standing there you will remember to put your cellphone back in the waterproof plastic to keep it from getting wet.  Before you put your cellphone away, you take a selfie. Chances are if you take a selfie your friends will want to take one too.

The Timber Mountain Log Ride is wild, fast, fun and exciting.  So much excitement will remind you that you are hungry for Mrs. Knott’s Chicken Dinner.  Walking over to the restaurant you will see the Geode Store and stop in to see the beautiful rocks.  Just then, the shop clerk starts to cut a geode in half that he just sold to another customer.  Looking at all the rocks and minerals in the store will remind you that you have room for one more geode on your shelf. So you buy one right on the spot and ask the clerk to cut it in half for you. 

As you and your friends head to Mrs. Knott’s restaurant, you will remember that you forgot to go on the Big Foot Rapids, the Hat Dance and so many other rides.  This will remind you to buy an annual pass so you can come back and ride all the other rides you might have missed.  If you buy an annual pass, chances are that your friends will want to join you and buy and annual pass too.  

If you buy an annual pass, chance are that you will come back to visit Camp Snoopy with your friends.

Disclaimer: FTM received complimentary tickets to the park. No compensation of cash was received. All thoughts and opinions are all my own.

Knott's Berry Farm is located at 8039 Beach Blvd, Buena Park, CA 90620. Laura Numeroff is an award winning and New York best-selling author, who lives in Los Angeles, CA. You can find her through her publisher HarperCollins.

GigaSavvy and Wahoo's Taco Truck "Eat and Greet" Field Trip.

Friday July 11, 2014, we attended an Eat and Greet at GigaSavvy.  They are a local digital marketing & PR company who opened it is doors to meet their community.  They invited the Wahoo’s Taco Truck to sell lunch to the public, adding to the fun.  They offered two lunch combos including one taco with rice and beans for only $5.00 and a two taco plate with rice, beans, chips and salsa for $7.00.  Both combos were delicious and freshly made on site.  After lunch, Lala Castro surprised us with a tour of GigaSavvy headquarters.  Lunch, meeting great new people and a tour of an amazing company made it a great way for our next field trip adventure. 

GigaSavvy is located in Irvine, CA near the Irvine Spectrum shopping center. They partner with local companies as well as large well-known brands for all digital marketing and public relations campaigns.  True to their core family values, they offer great opportunities to come and visit with staff, learn and become part of something greater in life.

The Wahoo’s taco truck was a great idea to fuel our hungry bodies.  My kids and I enjoyed the food and talking to new friends during this special luncheon. One new friend we made was a cute little dog named Henry.  This 13 year old doggie joined in our lunch event from one of the neighboring businesses.  His owner worked nearby and stopped to buy some tacos for lunch.  The bonus was that my kids spoiled Henry by feeding him grilled chicken from their plates.  Both boys made a pal in no time with Henry.  They enjoyed sharing their lunch and playing with him.  Henry was a little shy at first but soon thereafter, he refused to leave our side.  With a little love and a lot more food, he eventually walked back to his own office next door.  We then walked into the GigaSavvy doors to mingle with more people making more friends.

We then had the opportunity to sit with Alyson Ben-Yehuda and Lala Castro to discuss social media.  After a brief talk, we were invited to see the rest of the GigaSavvy inner workings.  We started with the Orange Room and the boys had a small mock interview, receiving feedback on their interview skills for the future.  Before we entered the room; Sarah, one of the staff members, handed us each an ice cream cone for dessert.  This made the kids happy beyond belief.  We sat down with ice cream cones in hand while Ms. Lala shared her company’s motto and explained digital marketing to us.  She tied in the importance of having a well-rounded education for holding a job in digital marketing and PR.  

She then walked us through the office introducing us to their staff.  Each introduction included a little information about their assignment and job duties.  The entire staff was very friendly and welcoming providing lots of information about digital marketing.  As we were on our way out, the kids were introduced to Corey Mangold, a principal of the company.  He engaged the kids with questions about their future.  One such question was “Do you want to own your business someday?”  What a great question for my kids.  It opened a window into a world of possibilities.  Finally, we said our good-byes and thanked Ms. Lala and her staff for being so generous with their time.

Overall, the day started as a lunch date and quickly turned into a fun field trip for all of us thanks to the warm hearts of the GigaSavvy team.  On the way home, we discussed what we learned about the day.  According to our boys, here are the (7) things they learned from the day:

1. GigaSavvy employees are very friendly and creative.
2. Digital Marketing is a fun profession.
3. An Eat and Greet is a great way to meet the community.
4. Treat everyone like family. 
5. Toys in the work place promote fun and creativity.
6. Ice Cream Fridays are a must for the office. 
7. The Orange room is the interview room. 

We had such a great experience visiting and learning that we want to say thank you to everyone at GigaSavvy for opening your doors to us!

Disclaimer: Not a sponsored post. All thoughts and opinions are all my own. 

Sender One Funtopia Indoor Rock Climbing for kids and adults.

Field Trip adventure for young and older kids: Indoor Rock climbing made fun for kids and Adults here in Southern California. A great way to get exercise and playtime at the same time. Keep Reading to find out our personal experience at our local Sender One location.  Continue reading to find out more...

Centrally located in Orange County, get ready for some amazing fun.  A great entertainment facility for kids, amazing exercise for adults and an excellent venue with tons of fun for birthday parties and corporate events.  Welcome to Funtopia & Sender One, indoor rock climbing, yoga, and a fitness center.  Strap yourself up to the harnesses and get ready to climb and race others to the top of several challenges for loads of fun.   

Do your kids love to climb on everything; everywhere?  Have you ever admired the art of rock climbing and never knew how to start?  Have you plateaued in your current workout?  Are you still looking for those lean, ripped muscles while having the strength to support your body weight upside down by one hand?  Sender One is the place for you, offering that and much more.

The Field Trip Mom family was invited to participate in Sender One's Funtopia and Rock Climbing facilities. When we arrived, we were instantly greeted by the helpful staff who strapped us into our climbing harnesses.  We watched a short video on the appropriate do's and don'ts inside the facility and we were off to enjoy some climbing.  I was escorted over to a maze wall by one of the staff members who picked me for this climb.  The wall was a 40-foot tall maze with pegs that you could move through the maze.  The object; while you climb the wall, try to move the pegs to the top where there was a large hole for them to fall safely back to the ground for the next climber.  You had to really focus because the maze had several dead ends which made you rethink your climbing and movement of the pegs through the maze.  Our oldest son loved playing on the Funtopia letter wall and the fireman's' ladder climb.  This climb was a 4 story building with ladders at various angles.  He had to use the window ledges and the ladders to reach a button near each window to extinguish the fires inside.  He was so confident climbing up all of the 40-foot walls.  He then climbed up to the top of a platform 30 feet in the air and jumped to grab a body bag hanging in mid-air!  See this activity in action in the video below.

Funtopia has several walls to climb, all with a varying degree of difficulty.  One wall has rotating disks so as you grabbed onto the rock hold, you had to control your core muscles to ensure the disk stayed in place for you while you journey up the wall.  Our youngest son enjoyed climbing up 1 ft by 1 ft padded pillars at an increasing incline until he was standing 30 feet in the air.  Once at the top, he would jump off onto a bullseye target on the floor below as the cables slowly lowered him to safety.

We were then invited to the party room for a quick pizza refuel which is available for birthday parties and corporate events.  The party room had plenty of space for a large group.  We had 25 people in our group and the room had plenty of seating for everyone.  In talking with the staff, they have several local restaurants that work with Funtopia to bring delicious meals to your party.

Finally, we were taken over to the Sender One side of the facility which was host to towering 50-foot walls with cliff type ledges and a cave where you could test your true strength.  We were locked in and allowed to climb our way to the top while one of the staff members kept us secured by ropes from the floor below.  The facility is lined with 24-inch foam mats for safety and the presence was of friendship, learning, strength, and fun.  An amazing arena with nearly a hundred climbers practicing their craft in a gigantic facility.  Want a true workout?  Looking for fun and a great facility to host your next event?  Check out Sender One!  Take a look at a 360-degree view inside their facility.

You can find everything you need to know about Funtopia and Sender One at their website listed below.  Birthday party and event hosting prices are available as well as a full description of all of their services and Yoga schedules.  Sender One has beginning, intermediate and advanced climbing classes as well as yoga and fitness training.  If you want a fun activity for the family or want to learn a new sport, Sender One will surely deliver.

https://www.senderoneclimbing.com/sna/sender-city/general-admission/

Sender One is located at 1441 Village Way Santa Ana, CA 92705.  Conveniently located off off the 55 Fwy and McFadden next to the Roger Dunn Golf Store.

Pretend City: The Road to the Future.

Pretend City Children's Museum has lots of fun activities this summer.  The museum is full of hands-on learning exhibits. Children are encouraged to drive throughout the city in toy cars. August is "The Road to the Future" month. They will be exploring roads, a pretend construction site and other activities. Parents will be encourage to ask their kids about their hopes and dreams. It is a fun place for young families. Read about our most recent visit to find out more: http://www.fieldtripmom.com/2014/06/pretend-city-childrens-museum-irvine-ca.html
Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post. All thoughts and opinions are all my own.

On this post I am hosting a chance to enter a giveaway for (2) Tickets to Pretend City Children's Museum. This giveaway is open to all U.S. residents ages 18 years or older. 

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Corner Bakery Cafe has something for every foodie. (Giveaway Alert)

Corner Bakery Café has been baking and making people fall in love with food since 1991. Happening now, they are celebrating the season of summer with two NEW menu items: Buttermilk Pancakes with berries and the Spicy Asian Pork Hot Toasted Sandwich.  The pancakes are included in the Kid’s menu for the entire family to enjoy at all their locations.  To help with a busy summer, they even offer a catering menu, which is made to order.  The food is prepared as though you have a private chef on staff.  Corner Bakery offers a great place for families to enjoy delicious meals, save time and have a less stressful summer.  (Enter for a chance to win a Gift Card to Corner Bakery Café at the end of this post.) Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post. All thoughts and opinions are all my own.

For twenty three years, people have been visiting Corner Bakery Café for their delicious comfort food and healthy menu items.  Continuing the tradition of offering a home-style meal, they have decided to add to their menu Buttermilk Pancakes.  What makes them so special is that they are made with real buttermilk and made-to-order; not frozen and never re-heated.  Their new light and fluffy pancakes dressed with real syrup and summer ready berries make it the perfect breakfast.  Another great selection for breakfast is the Chilled Berry Almond Swiss Oatmeal.  It is has rolled oats, green apples, bananas, currants and dried cranberries as well as low fat yogurt and skim milk.  They give you a Raisin Pecan Sweet Crisp to go with your oatmeal. 

Lunch has gone International with their NEW Spicy Asian Pork Hot Toasted Sandwich.  The sandwich is made with shredded roasted pork and a savory Asian barbecue sauce.  It is topped with fresh coleslaw, crisp English cucumbers,  pickled jalapenos and cilantro.  The sandwich is served hot on a toasted French freshly baked roll.  Imagine it as French / Vietnamese fusion cuisine that you are sure to love.  It is one of the best sandwiches in town because it has a sweet and spicy taste. 

The kids menu is a great value for a family because they offer great food under $5.00, which includes a beverage.  The menu offers breakfast, lunch and dinner choices served all day.  For breakfast, the choices include The Kids Scrambler (scrambled eggs with bacon or fresh fruit and white toast) and the NEW buttermilk pancakes (Two original or chocolate chip pancakes served with Applewood smoked bacon).  For lunch or dinner, they offer a Kid’s Combo (Any half kids sandwich paired with a small soup, served with choice of bakery chips or baby carrots.)  Kids’ sandwiches include Turkey, Ham, Grilled Cheese, Peanut Butter and Jelly (Served on choice of white or harvest bread with pickles and bakery chips or baby carrots.)  Included in the menu for kids is a Homemade Mac and Cheese, Pasta with Meatball or Noodles and sauce (choice of marinara or cream sauce).  This menu is recognized by the Kids Live Well National Restaurant Association, an organization committed to helping families find better choices when dining out.

Corner Bakery offers a large catering menu which can help you have a stress free summer.  I think it is like having your own private chef on call.  Take a look at their online menu to view a complete list of food items they offer.  Here their link: Corner Bakery Café Online Menu.  One of the best valued items on their catering menu is their Bundt Bite Tray.  It is only $20.00 for 20 pieces.  Make your day special with a freshly baked Bundt bite.  This is a great way to host any occassion.

Enter for a chance to win a gift card to Corner Bakery Café. 

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Tropical Summer Picnic Fun with Rio the Movie.

Summer is here and we are celebrating with the movie Rio and a tropical picnic. To get started, we went flower picking in our neighborhood looking for the most tropical floral bouquet we could find.  Next, we shopped for groceries for our picnic.  Finally, we got comfortable in our living room and watched the movie Rio.  Disclosure: No monetary compensation was received. A copy of the movie was sent for review. All thoughts and opinions are all my own.

Flower gathering and decorating was so much fun for the entire family.  First, we went for a walk on the local trail and found these large Hibiscus bushes filled with different colored flowers.  This gave us a chance to play and talk about plants and bugs.  The colors that we found were bright  yellow, ruby red, vanilla white and a gorgeous puff pink flower.  We rushed home to put them in water and display them on our picnic table.  One word of caution, these flowers are homes to a variety of tiny bugs.  Clean them carefully before putting them on the table.

The family then went grocery shopping for a summer picnic.  The kids were in charge of the menu for the day.  They purchased watermelon, pineapple, mango and cantaloupe.  The drinks for this meal were fruit smoothies and Fruit Punch Barrels.  For dessert, they decided on small candies.  Earlier in the evening we had veggie pizza as our main dish.  Sorry, we were so hungry it did not make it to this table.

The final product was this beautiful table that everyone helped to put together including the neighbor kids.  We all enjoyed an evening of fruit and catching up.  The evening turned into a fun evening of movie watching. Popcorn and a spot on the couch to watch the movie closed out our night.   Now, we can't wait for Rio II to come out on DVD this July 15th.  It will be host to another tropical summer picnic.  Included below are some links to printables and activities for kids.  Get in the mood for another great adventure in the tropical rain forest.  Host your own tropical summer picnic and movie night with Rio II.

Get activities and printables on their website:

http://www.riomovies.com/story

Michaels Craft Summer Passport to Imagination.

Michaels Craft Stores is offering a special Summer Program, “Passport to Imagination”. This year they have teamed up with seven of North America’s top museums to create projects inspired by the museums and its exhibits.  The classes take place Monday, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 10:00am until 12:00pm. The cost is only $2.00 for 2 hour of fun crafting per person.  The program is currently open for online enrollment and ends August 2, 2014. Want to learn more...see all of the great opportunities to have fun below.

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post. All thoughts and opinions are all my own.

Each week, the craft class takes a trip using our imagination to a new museum.  On the schedule this week is the Perot Museum of Nature and Science located in Dallas, Texas. Students will be making an album project called "Create-A-Constellation" and a destination project called "Space & Planets.  In the picture above, you can see last weeks project modeled after the "Pima Air & Space Museum".

Museums that will be featured:
The Field Museum - Chicago, Illinois
Georgia Aquarium - Atlanta, Georgia
Pima Air & Space Museum - Tucson, Arizona (JULY 7)
Perot Museum of Nature and Science - Dallas, Texas
Denver Art Museum - Denver, Colorado
The Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology - New York, New York
Montreal Museum of Fine Arts - Montreal, Quebec (Final week)

Each class will share a Destination project and an album project. Additionally, there is another project recommended as an at home project to keep the kids engaged. 

We attended last weeks class and everyone had fun. My kids were able to make the project by themselves and enjoyed the process.  I did have to reserve the class a week in advance to secure my spot.  Space is limited however try other stores in your area if you run into booking issues.  Want to enroll you kids in these great Summer Crafts?  Click on the link below.

Passport to Imagination Enrollment

If you would like to learn more about projects you can complete at home with your kids, check out these great ideas from Michaels Craft Stores.

At Home Projects 

Surprise Art Museum in Southern California. #fieldtrip #forestlawn

Summer is upon us and it is time to take time off to enjoy some quality family time.  Are you looking for an inexpensive activity to offset some of the vacation expenses?  Why not take a day field trip to an amazing Art Museum located in a Southern California.  Forest Lawn Mortuary in Glendale is a great place to take the family to see and learn about some amazing art pieces and the history behind them.  Forest Lawn? You ask and we say, "Truly Amazing, a must see!"

  

The Forest Lawn Glendale Museum hosts some incredible pieces of art.  Among the collection is Leonardo Da Vinci's last super recreated in stained glass and Michelangelo's "La Pieta and Moses."  The museum is home to some of the most beautiful statues displayed in a variety of exposure including nude, semi-nude and fully clothed.  The park includes a giant replica statue of David.  Inside the museum contains several stained glass pictures, coins mentioned in the Bible, statues, medieval armor and more.  The park rotates exhibits every three months.  The grounds are host to several sites to see and it is recommended you grab a map upon entry of the park to ensure you don't miss anything.  Amazing views of Los Angeles and the valley below are beautiful and there are many photo opportunities outside however photography is not allowed in the museum itself. The builder wanted to make this a place of happiness. His intend was to bring kids, artists, teachers and anyone who wanted to see beautiful sunsets and art pieces. A place where all could  remember the past and look towards a bright future. 

On display now thru Jan 5th, 2015, visit VROOM: The Art of the Motorcycle.  This exhibit offers a look into the amazing history of motorcycle culture.  The exhibit hosts some of the most beautiful rare and collectable vintage motorcycles, one of a kind hand painted helmets previously worn by racing champions, sculpture and photographs by a dozen of the most celebrated motorcycle artists and much more.  If you are a motorcycle enthutist or know someone who is, this exhibit is a must see.

 
The Museum is open Tuesday thru Sunday 10 AM to 5 PM.  Located at 1712 S. Glendale Avenue in Glendale.

For more adventure, head over to Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Hollywood Hills for a completely new view into history.  This park is host to a huge memorial and statue of George Washington and larger than life statues of Abraham Lincoln and Thomas Jefferson.  The park has a 30 foot by 165 foot tile mosaic depicting the surrender of General Cornwallis, the crossing of the Delaware, Betsy Ross making the US flag and the signing of the Declaration of Independence.  What better way to enjoy the 4th of July weekend.  There is a small museum hosting artifacts of Mexican History and contains pictures, statues, models, clothing and more from Mayan, Aztec and other Indian and Mexican cultures.  The park has much, much more that you must see to believe. 

Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills is located at 6300 Forest Lawn Dr. Los Angeles.  Open daily 9 AM to 6 PM.  For more information, please visit their website at Forest Lawn.  Take your kids on a field trip to learn more about art and history.

Disclosure: This NOT a sponsored post. All thoughts and opinions are all my own.