Fun things to do with kids in Southern California.

California is beautiful during the month of October. We see pumpkin patches, corn mazes and festivals popping up in the community. Outdoor activities become more popular in the summer time because of the weather. San Diego County offers discounted or free admission to museums, park and the zoo. You could say October is California resident month to celebrate all of the wonderful things we have to offer in entertainment and culture. Keep reading to find out more....

This week we have lots of fun opportunities for you and your family to experience. Just go to our Fieldtripmom Facebook page to get a list of fun festivals, rodeo's, and science activities for everyone in the family. 

https://www.facebook.com/FieldtripmomFTM/?ref=aymt_homepage_panel

Best regards,

Fieldtripmom.com 

Apple picking in San Diego County.

Apple Season in Southern California is from August to September. Our family has been apple picking for almost (6) years.  We usually drive to Oak Glen, California to pick our apples.  This year, we changed our family field trip and visited Volcan Valley Apple Farm in the city of Julian.  The drive seemed shorter and we tried something new as a family.  It was a success with everyone in our family.  Let me share with you our family experience and our family photos. 

We arrived in the afternoon, just in time to pick the best apples of the season. We were a little surprised that the apples were small.  We asked the farmer about the apples and he told us that it was because of the drought.  As you know, California agriculture is going through hard times as a result of the water shortage.  It was very evident on the drive to the orchard.  The hills are brown and the roads have little or no plants at all.  The farmer made lots of sense in explaining the crop size.  The size of the apples did not matter to us because they still tasted delicious.  We still found joy in picking and eating fresh apples.  

The farm was full of families picking apples and enjoying the day.  It was great to see so many people with their families field tripping.  After apple picking we headed to Julian Apple Pie Shop down the road.  Picking apple was hard work and all of us were super hungry. Carmel apple pie was with a small cup of coffee was the cure for this problem. Mmmmmmmmmm. The kids had milk instead of the coffee with their slice of pie.  Our pie was gone before we arrived home.  The pies are small...(wink, wink).  OK, really our slices were quite generous.

The family field trip adventure was full of delicious treats and new finds.  As we exited out of town, we noticed a sign for Camel Farm offering an open house next month.  Camel farm, huh?  We are coming back to Julian to see the camels.  Can't say no to an open house with camels. 

Now, let's get back to the family field trip.  The pick was very fruitful and tasty.  We highly recommend that you plan a trip to the apple orchards next year because this year the season is just about over in Julian.  We called around to find out who was still open for picking in the Julian area and everyone that we contacted was closed.  The Chamber of Commerce for Julian responded by saying that one or two orchards are still open by appointment only.  They did not offer any contact information or links to apple farms.  It is safe to say that the best pick for apples in Julian will be next August or September.  Fresh fruit doesn't keep a long schedule.  Keep that in mind when planning a trip to the local farms.

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

Rafflecopter giveaway, "The I heart naptime cookbook."

A few weeks ago, I received "The I Heart Naptime" cookbook, for review.  It is filled with bright, colorful pictures that invite you to make a meal.  The book offers over 200 pages of inspiring and helpful meal ideas.  Our family put it to the test the other day with great results.  Keep reading to find out how this cookbook inspired a great family moment. 

There is truth in the saying, "We eat with our eyes first."  When I shared "The I Heart Naptime" cookbook with the kids, their first reaction was go to the most delicious picture in the book.  What they found was this delicious hamburger recipe that made their little tummies growl as soon as they saw it.  The directions looked easy and we were all inspire to make our dinner look just like the picture in the cookbook.  (See Below - Right side shows our homemade hamburger.)

The adventure began at the local grocery store while shopping for hamburger ingredients.  First, we headed to the meat isle.  Standing there, the kids decided turkey meat was better for the burger recipe instead of the recommended beef.  The discussion over the type of meat to use for the burgers was funny because I would point to the recipe and remind them it called for beef.  After several minutes of going back and forth, we agreed to substitute turkey for the beef.

Then, we headed toward the bread isle to pick-up hamburger buns.  Picking-up the sesame seed bun package would present another decision crossroad for my young chefs.  Sesame seed bun or NO sesame seeds for our burger?  The answer would be, "No".  Plain hamburger buns were immediately put in our shopping cart.  The final stop for this shopping trip would be the produce isle. Here we would all grab one ingredient that would help make the hamburger tasty.  By the time we got to the check out line all of us were starving and eager to get home to cook our burgers.
Thank goodness we all agreed to work together to quickly put dinner on the table.  We spent more time shopping for the ingredients than actually cooking dinner.  The experience taught us that dinner is easier with all hands on deck. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This cookbook was easy to explore for both myself and my young kids. The recipes do not require special ingredients or special machines. Overall, this cookbook screams happy, colorful and very uplifting. 

Disclosure: Received book for review only. All thoughts and ideas are all my own. 

Graber Olive canning family field trip.

Family field trip alert: We are regular visitors to the Graber Olive House in Ontario. Their canning season is coming up soon and they open their doors to the public. We wanted to give you a heads-up. Mid-October is the best time to schedule a family field trip. Stay tune for best times and dates to visit Graber House. 

Location: 315 E 4th St, Ontario, CA 91764

Happiness is an important part of education.

Education is an important part of life. Kids learn from their surroundings and the people that care for them. Happiness is something that can be cultivated and taught through love and compassion. Remember that happiness is more important than things you can buy. 

Salvation Mountain off Highway 111

Salvation Mountain - Leonard Knight created this art piece as a tribute to God and his gift to the world with the powerful message: "God Is Love."  The message is clear throughout the man made mountain area that God is the way. The heart below reads, "Say, Jesus I am a sinner, please come upon my body and into my heart." This art piece is bright and colorful. 

Salvation Mountain is located in Imperial County, in the city of Niland. The drive is very interesting as you will see the Salton Sea and Date farms on your road trip. 

Drivers beware kids are watching you text and drive.

My kids love to play video games as they sit in the back of our car while we run errands.   One day, I decided that the kids needed to leave their video games at home to be more present.  I wanted them to enjoy the view outside.  I asked them to look for plants, birds and just everyday life.   All of this in the hopes to get them engaged and thinking creatively.  What I would find out is that my kids are super funny and my parenting skills would be tested.

As soon as the observation began, the kids noticed that drivers seemed to forget that other people could see inside their cars. The first thing they noticed was a driver picking her nose and eating her boogers. “Mom! Mom! Mom! That driver just ate her boogers!”, said my son.  I responded by saying, “Aaugh, WHAT? Please tell me that you are trying to be funny!”  My son replied, “No mom, it really happened!”  I stated, “Okay, let’s look away and not make a big deal.”  I wanted to laugh but I couldn’t. With a straight face I tried to change the subject by asking them to look for specific street signs.

Of course, now they were very interested in looking out the windows with eager excitement to find more wrong doings.  On our trip, the kids saw people texting and driving, people falling asleep at the wheel, feet on the dashboard, and fellow drivers weaving in and out of traffic as though we were on a racetrack. We were even witness to an Angry Bird moment, yes, the flipping of the bird!  The worst was a pedestrian stumbling across a crosswalk with his eyes rolling back, most likely from taking drugs.  Each time they saw something out of the ordinary, there were more questions.  Some of their questions were hard to answer.  My response was usually, “Adults are responsible for their own actions.”  Another answer I gave was, “People make mistakes all the time.” When I couldn't answer their question, like the guy on drugs, I said, “Let’s pray for him.”

That day, we had many open conversations about adults making bad decisions and being unsafe on the road. One of the biggest questions they had was regarding people driving and texting. It was clear to the kids, those drivers who texted, drove erratically and were being very unsafe.  I explained to them that sometimes people break the law because they think nothing bad will happen and no one is watching. 

It goes without saying, I am now happy to let the kids use their video games on our car trips.  It’s less stressful for me while I avoid drivers who text.  By the way, texting and driving looks just like a drunk driver behind the wheel.  Please stay safe and do not text while you drive.