Field Trip Mom

5/16/12

5/12/12

Happy Mother's Day to all the moms of the World! Feliz dia de las Madres! This weekend enjoy a picnic with your mom, shopping at the local mall or just a nature walk at the local botanical garden. Keep reading to find out more…..

快樂的母親日 !heureuse fête des mères! 행복한 어머니의 날 hạnh phúc các bà mẹ ngày ΓΙΟΡΤΗ ΤΗΣ ΜΗΤΕΡΑΣ شاد روز مادر

"Love is doing small things with great love." Mother Teresa

Orange County

Take a picnic lunch and enjoy the local beach. Make sandwiches, fresh fruit and some cold drinks to take with you to Laguna, Newport or Malibu beach. Want to make things easier than buy take out at the local market. Now a days grocery stores offer sushi, salads, fried chicken and other great food options. What you will need to set-up a picnic is a blanket, folding chairs, an umbrella and sunscreen. Bring beach toys for the kids to play with and self entertain while the adults sit and enjoy the day. Clean up is easy and there was no mess at home or long lines to stand in makes for a great day for your mom.

http://www.ocparks.com/beaches/salt
http://www.visitnewportbeach.com/things-to-do/
https://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=835

Don't make mom cook or clean this weekend. Take her to the park and cook on the barbecue. Everything you need is at the grocery store or Costco. Make things easier by buying already prepared food and just laying a blanket to sit and picnic. Avoid the mess and buy take out. Try to bring snack foods like grapes, oranges and bananas for the kids. Parks now have rides and activities for special days like Mother's Day. Just look on their calendar to see what is happening this weekend and show mom a great time.
http://www.ocparks.com/parks/irvine/
http://www.ocparks.com/parks/william/
http://parks.lacounty.gov/wps/portal/dpr

Take mom to a local Museum- My favorite is the Los Angeles Natural History Museums. They have a Gem area with some of the most gorgeous diamonds, Sapphires and Ruby's in the world. Mom can touch and see first hand some of the most beautiful gems in the world. A girl can make a wish on these diamonds and sapphires. Outside they have a large rose garden with a water fountain. I love taking pictures there and the kids are welcomed. There is an admission fee, please call or visit their website for update information.

https://nhm.org/site/explore-exhibits/permanent-exhibits/gems-minerals

12 carat Blue Moon Diamond Photo credit: NHM

Botanical gardens – Botanical gardens are great for adults and kids because kids can run around and discover new plants. Moms and dads can sit and watch the kids have fun while getting their energy out. Bring a picnic lunch and get fresh air. Everyone can de-compress and connect with nature. Here is a list of local botanical gardens. Please visit their websites for admission fees and hours of operation as they are subject to change.

http://southcoastbotanicgarden.org/
http://fullertonarboretum.org/home.php
https://www.botgard.ucla.edu/

http://www.huntington.org/
http://www.fieldtripmom.com/2016/05/university-california-riverside.html

Peonies Roses Trader Joes

Make a memory- Try making an appointment to the Color Me Mine or a place that offers make your own Art work. It is something you will love for years to come. I made one last year and I love it.

Local Church events -Some churches have special events for Mother's Day. Call around and find out what your local church offers for Sunday services. They sometimes offer childcare.

Buy Costco gift cards to get a great deal. Costco offers discounts on spa gift cards and selected restaurants.

Fun shopping ideas:

Wholesale flowers: http://www.ocwholesaleflowers.com/

http://www.shopirvinespectrumcenter.com/directory/map-of-center/

http://www.southcoastplaza.com/

http://www.thegrovela.com/

Free events in your area: https://www.facebook.com/FieldtripmomFTM/

Disclosure: Not a sponsored post. Our goal is to get you out enjoying your family and friends. All thoughts and opinions are all my own.

4/27/12

Green Chopsticks Food Tour

Writers Jamie, Jeanne and my family go on a food tour!!! We were all invited to a very special food factory, “Green Chopsticks" which is headquartered in Alhambra, CA. We toured their kitchen where delicious dumplings are made in a state of the art facility.

In order to go inside the dumpling kitchen, we first had gone through a total body sanitizing process. We washed our hands, put on our white sanitary coats, hair hats and went through an air closet which removed any unwanted particles on our body. We then stepped into a cleaning agent to cleanse our shoes and off we went. We were sanitized from top to bottom in a matter of minutes.

Walking into the facility, the temperature was North Pole cold. Inside, the floor was specially made for this state of the art kitchen to maintain a clean and safe environment. We were all very impressed with how they cared about their food handling standards. Image a place that is completely sealed with little magical elves that come and clean every minute of the day. It was the cleanest place any of us had ever experienced.

We soon made it to the start of the assembly line to see how they make kitchen magic.

The dumpling process was broken up in teams. There was the dough making process, the fresh vegetable process, the fresh meat process, the final assembly and the cooking / freezing process bringing all the ingredients together. The whole operation was incredible to watch. The kids were shocked to see the entire process.

We watched how workers mixed the dough. It was then placed in a roll and was set in a heavy duty machine to cut the outside of dumpling. The vegetable processing area, the vegetables consisted of green cabbage, onions, garlic and leek. They were washed, cut and mixed with other ingredients such as soy sauce, sesame oil, evaporated cane juice, salt, oyster sauce and black pepper. Next, we saw the meat processing area. The meat was fresh and cut in the kitchen into tiny pieces. Nothing was pre-cut or frozen and only fresh ingredients went into the dumplings.

After watching the dumplings being assembled, they were placed on a special machine where they were lined up and steamed. We sampled the finished product as the dumplings marched on to be prepared for freezing and packaging. The whole process taught us the care that went into preparing these delicious dumplings.

Yum, Yum!

Green Chopsticks dumplings can be bought at Gourmet Markets such as Gelson's Market, Bristol Farms, Wholesome Choice and Costco Roadshows.

Dumplings marching to the store near you!

4/13/12

Hunger Hits Home on April 14th Food Network TV

What if your neighbor was hungry and suffering in silence? What if he was only 10 years old. Hunger Hits Home is a documentary about our country and the kids who go hungry every day and every night. There is an estimated 1 in 5 kids who goes hungry everyday. Food Network and Share Out Strength's No Kid Hungry have partnered to end childhood hunger by 2015.

This April 14th on the Food Network Channel a very important documentary will air "Hunger Hits Home". Narrated by actor Jeff Bridges, who is the national spokesman for Share Our Strength 's No Kid Hungry Campaign. The documentary will show you who is going hungry and how they got there. The families in the documentary are not people holding signs on the sidewalk or living in a homeless shelter. They are families like yours and mine. They have a place to live and transportation. They have jobs and live in major cities. They are loving parents with the best intentions for their kids. But making hard decisions like buying fresh groceries is part of daily life, because of the current US economy. There are solutions to this horrible problem. Watch the documentary on April 14th on the Food Network Channel. Check your local listings to find the times. Watch and learn how you can make a difference!

4/11/12

We Won the Liebster Award! :)

My blogger friend Jamie from Minnesota Girl in LA blog awarded me the "Liebster Award. This award is bestowed on blogs who have great value and deserve more attention. I have never won a blogger award before, so of course I researched it (I am a geek). I found that Liebster is German for dearest, beloved or favorite. Being someones favorite is something that makes me smile. I write to inspire others to get out and experience life with family. Combining travel with education is my passion. Not everyone can learn through reading only, therefore learning through hands on experience is key to finding your passion.

It is an honor to receive this award and nominate other Bloggers for "Liebster Award. Here is my pick of (5) great Bloggers who deserve to be read:

Jamie - Minnesota Girl in Los Angeles

Desiree - Sarcastic, Funny, and Brutally Honest

Romina - Just Another Hat

Alexis - North on Harper

Carolyn - This Talk Ain’t Cheap

I hope that you will take a moment and read some of these amazing Blogs. As always I wish everyone peace and friendship.

Sincerely,

Alma

4/9/12

Last Chance for Nuclear Cowboyz

Can you believe April 15th is almost here? I can't believe it. Taxes and the last chance for Nuclear Cowboyz is April 15th! Want to have some fun with the kids on tax day? Head out to the Citizens Business Bank Arena and attend the Nuclear Cowboyz performance. You can purchase tickets online through Nuclear Cowboyz Events or CBBA (Citizens Business Bank Arena)

Who: The Nuclear Cowboyz have an amazing website. Here is their about me:
Legendary Nuclear Cowboyz FMX tribes, the Soldiers of Havoc and the Metal Mulisha® return for a never-before-seen action-packed North American tour, Nuclear Cowboyz 2012, that takes place in the war torn city of Los Angeles during the year 2150. The tale unfolds as the two tribes’ survival is threatened and besieged by an evil force, The Tempest and her electrifying Cyborg Army. Catapulted into the heart pounding fury and frenzied excitement are the sizzling Nuclear Cowgirlz®, whose allegiance to their tribes only intensifies the Tempest’s rage to destroy the Nuclear Cowboyz. The Soldiers of Havoc and the Metal Mulisha’s battle is fought through fearless freestyle gravity defying stunts, combined with outrageous pyrotechnic and laser displays synchronized to heavy metal, rock alternative and electronic dubstep music. (taken from their website)

Nuclear Cowboyz

Do not miss this great opportunity to see the Nuclear Cowboyz, otherwise you will have to travel outside the USA to see them. They are that popular!!!

Where: Citizens Business Bank Arena
Citizens Business Bank Arena link

4000 E. Ontario Center Parkway

Ontario, CA 91764

(909) 244-5500

cbbankarena.com

When: April 13th -15th (Last Chance to see them in the US)

VIP Info:

Experience Nuclear Cowboyz with a VIP Fallout Zone ticket. A VERY limited number of tickets are set aside for the BIGGEST Nuclear Cowboyz fans. Each VIP Fallout Zone ticket includes: Premium seating, admission to a private meet & greet with the stars of Nuclear Cowboyz where you will be presented with a commemorative VIP Fallout Zone credential and poster. ONLY VIP Fallout Zone ticket holders will be able to take part in the meet & greet. It’s the ultimate VIP experience. Don’t wait as these seats are extremely limited and will go fast.

Disclosure: I was not paid to tell others about this event. I did receive complimentary tickets to attend the show. I will be attending, because my family has demanded I do. All opinions are my own and I look forward to making memories with my family at this popular event. I hope to see you there!!!

4/2/12

Field Trip Alert - L.A. County Fair

Field Trip Alert - L.A. County Fair is having sign-ups for their Field Trip program. The field trips takes place in September. The FairKids Field Trips is a California State standards-based field trip. It is for preschool through 8th grade students, public, private and home schools, and will take place Wednesday through Friday, Sept. 5 - 28, and parking and admission are absolutely free of charge. The field trip starts at 9 a.m. and does not open to the public until 12 p.m. This gives FairKids 3 hours on grounds without the public. Parking and admission is at Gate 9 off of White Ave.
To learn more just click on this link: http://www.lacountyfair.com/2012/educationcommunity/fairKids.asp

Sign up for the kids competition and get in the spirit of the fair.
http://www.lacountyfair.com/2012/entertainment/competitions_AmericasKids.asp