Field Trip Mom

This Holiday Season will bring new bikes to children across the Nation.  Many already have a bike but have out grown it.  Nobody wants to collect a garage full of unused bikes just sitting and collecting dust.  You might be able to sale your old outgrown bikes on a local used online ad site but many end up being donated to a local thrift store.  Why not donate your unwanted bicycle to an amazing non-profit cause. The Bicycle Tree not only donates bikes to the less fortunate who rely on it as their source of work & school transportation, but also educates the community on bicycle repair and maintenance.  The Bicycle Tree is a community of volunteer and bicycle enthusiasts who help those in need repair their only source of transportation and teach them how to complete repairs.  Through the organizations Wrench and Ride program, participants choose a bike and learn how to complete all of the necessary repair and maintenance on the bike.  Many who have bicycle repair issues ty

Christmas songs that will keep you happy for three hours.

Making Chicken Pozole is super easy. If you have ever made soup for the winter, then you can make Pozole with no trouble. What is Pozole you ask? It is a hearty Mexican style soup or stew. To start, I cook the chicken with onions, garlic, fresh oregano and chicken broth separately from the hominy. While I am cooking the chicken, I steam the chiles for 15 minutes or until the stem can be removed easily from the body of the Chiles. The Chiles are then placed into the blender and well blended into a smooth sauce. This sauce can be changed by adding different types of dried Chiles, onion, garlic and spices to give a different flavor profile. Once your Chile sauce is well strained into a smooth sauce, add it to the hominy that is cooking separately. The chicken broth and Chile sauce will blend together and make a delicious meal. Don’t forget your garnishes. Choose fresh cabbage, dried oregano seasoning, and a fresh wedge of lime or lemon juice, finely chopped white onions and sli

We adopted a "Third Chance Pet." Originally, we wanted a kitten but when we saw her sitting there looking so sad and lonely our hearts spoke to us. She was a medium size white cat with brown spots. She was 18 month old according to her biography. Kitty aka Cookie was at the bottom of all the cages. In order to see her, you needed to bend down and sit on the floor. She was hard to find. Our first visit was not good. She scratched and was a bit wild. Everything about her that day said that she had been through something traumatic. We were impulsive and said, "YES," we will take her to a forever home. What followed next was amazing. The first six months, we cared for her with compassion and kindness. Cookie was extremely clean, followed bedtime routines and food schedules but was still shy and would scratch us here and there. We would have family over for visits and she would come out to greet them by nudging up to them on their legs. Friends that had visited

It is the Christmas holiday season and there are so many fun things to do with your family. One of our family traditions is to visit neighborhoods that have festive Christmas light displays. We usually stop by a local coffee shop and buy hot chocolate and cookies before we start the Christmas light tour. We are never disappointed by the Giant Santa or the thousands of twinkling little lights that decorate a single house. Some neighborhoods offer hot cocoa, churros and tamales as part of their celebration. On one of our previous visits, we were given candy canes. Yes, there are so many people out looking for Christmas light displays that sometimes it becomes a social gathering. We have met several kinds of homeowners that will come out and visit with us. It is a great experience for all of us. We highly recommend it as part of your holiday tradition. Here are a few light displays you can visit with your family. Aliso Viejo King Elder Lane Bough Avenue  Glenwood

It is cold outside and it is time to practice ice skating. Southern California offers several public places to skate with your family and friends. Skating is a fun activity that will get your kids and yourself laughing and just having pure fun.  Prices vary from place to place. We suggest calling ahead to find out the best time to skate and what is included with the price of admission. The average we have found is $20.00 per hour. Continue reading to get more information on local skating rinks.  We are sharing a short list of Ice Rinks in Southern California. Our experience has been a positive one with The Rink in Irvine and the Spectrum. So, we recommend them if it is near you. We also enjoyed skating at the Pershing Square in Los Angeles last year during a very busy time and it was a fun social activity.  For the best experience possible call ahead to get times and prices. Dress warm and wear gloves to keep your body protected from the cold. Continue reading to get more infor

Southern California is filled with great Children's Museums. These museums offer great holiday activities. Some offer Snow Days, Christmas activities, Hanukkah games and more. There are so many great opportunities to teach kids all ages about traditions, cultures and history.  The Children's Museum, La Habra - They are offering Posadas, Christmas crafts and other hands on learning.  LOCATION:  301 S Euclid St, La Habra, CA 90631 http://www. lhcm .org/ Kid's Space Museum in Pasadena - Snow Days are just around the corner. They offer a great play area that this extremely fun and filled with touch and feel items. LOCATION: 480 N Arroyo Blvd, Pasadena, CA 91103 https://www.kidspacemuseum.org/ Pretend City in Orange County - A great place to bring your toddler to play and explore. This week they are offering photos with Santa. Great place to bring a picnic lunch. Toddlers are encouraged to play until they fall asleep.  LOCATION:  29 Hubble, Irvine, CA 92618

Free Entrance Days in the National Parks for 2019. National Parks will be fee-free on (5) separate holidays. On five days in 2019, all National Park Service sites that charge an entrance fee will offer free admission to everyone.  Mark your calendar for these entrance fee–free dates in 2019: January 21:   Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr. April 20:  First day of  National Park Week August 25 :  National Park Service Birthday September 28:   National Public Lands Day November 11:   Veterans Day From the National Parks website: "National parks are America’s best idea, and there are  more than 400 parks  available to everyone, every day. The fee-free days provide a great opportunity to visit a new place or an old favorite, especially one of the  national parks that normally charge an entrance fee . The others are free all the time. The entrance fee waiver for fee-free days does not cover amenity or user fees for activities such as camping, boat launches, transp

Each December 12th, the Mexican Catholic community celebrates the Feast Day of Our Lady of Guadalupe. This celebration commemorates the appearance of Mary to the Mexican peasant Juan Diego in 1531. The feast day is an important day for Mexican-American Catholics to celebrate their religious and cultural identity.   Santiago de Compostela Catholic Church  is hosting this amazing celebration beginning on December 11th, 2018 at 11 PM. There is midnight mass, Rosary, serenade, Aztec Dancers and Food. Why you should attend this celebration. This is an important moment in history when our Mother spoke to the Indigenous people of Mexico to build a church in her honor. Watch this short video to find out more information on how the Catholic Church gained the trust of the Mexican people.  You can attend any part of the celebration as your schedule allows. However, I  highly recommend attending the mass. The Church is located at 21682 Lake Forest Dr, Lake Forest, CA 92630 near Irvine Bl

Game Day is time for family and friends, gathering around the television or tailgating at the local stadium before your team's big day.  It is a right of passage to put together a feast of comfort foods and snacks for everyone to enjoy.  What better way to compliment that secret chili recipe or top off your plate of boneless BBQ wings with corn bread from Krusteaz. Krusteaz, manufacture of amazing pancake mix offers a whole line of corn bread and muffin mix including their new Fire Roasted Cornbread.  This new mix has a chili lime and cheese topping that will make any meal pop with flavor.  Super easy to make and the most delicious corn bread ever.  Simply add 1 egg, vegetable oil and milk to the box mix, blend it together well and pour it into your pre-greased baking pan.  You'll have delicious corn bread or muffins in 15 - 25 minutes.   Time varies between muffins and bread loaf as well as oven types and the altitude you reside.  With the holidays nearing

To celebrate their 20th birthday, LEGOLAND® California is offering free child admission on your child's birthday starting in 2019**.   What a savings for families with young kids. ** This offer applies for kids under twelve only. LEGOLAND® California opened it's doors in 1999 with 12 rides and the Mini-land themed walk through display. Today, the San Diego based entertainment park offers over 60 fun rides several shows and other great attractions.  They have also added an aquarium, water park and two amazing hotels.  LEGOLAND® is a wonderful place to take kids to explore and connect through play and socializing.  The LEGOLAND® park is offering a few new fun attractions coming in 2019.  The “Lego City 4D Movie: Officer in Pursuit” is an action-comedy short film with 4D special effects.  It debuts in the Spring in the Lego Showplace Theater. Toddlers will rejoice over the new changes to the Duplo Playtown play area. The Mini Land Stage - Will h

Trick or Treat!!!! Halloween is the biggest holiday season for fun and candy. To help you celebrate the fall season we are sharing some of our favorite places and other events happening in Los Angeles, Orange County and San Diego cities.  These events are great opportunities to make family field trip memories.  Orange County Discovery Cube OrangeCounty - Spooky Science Discovery Cube will  enchant everyone with  chemistry in the “Wizard of Ooze” stage show, observe and analyze characteristics of real and mythical creatures, and join in on the costume parade. Along with the programming above, the Cube will host five special costume themed weekends. You can purchase tickets online or at the door. Arrive early because it gets very busy.  https://oc.discoverycube.org/exhibits/spooky-science/ Disneyland - Who doesn't love the beautiful decorated palace in Anaheim. Enjoy rides and characters through out the park. Purchase tickets online or at the park. Wear comfortable s