LEGOLAND California Brick-or-Treat Tips and Tricks #BrickOrTreat

It's the last weekend of LEGOLAND California's Brick-or-Treat and if

you're headed there, I've got some tips and tricks that will hopefully make your visit and

experience at Brick-or-Treat the best that it can be. This is our third year at 

Brick-or-Treat and each year it gets a little more organized and laid out and 

easier to maneuver.

TIP #1 - GO LEFT!

Once you get to the park, pick up your wristband and GO LEFT! This year there

were two lines to pick up your wristbands for Brick-or-Treat. The line to the right

of the entrance was visible as you entered and so most of the people got in that line.

There was seriously a line there right up until Brick-or-Treat started. We went left

and we walked right up to the BOO CREW member and got our wristbands.

Also, get your wristbands as soon as you get to the park. The lines got longer

as it got closer to Brick-or-Treat starting.

TIP #2 - SNAP AWAY DURING THE DAY

Take your pictures during the day! The park isn't well lit for photos at night and so snap

those cute photo ops while you have good lighting. I made this mistake my first year and

it was stressful to get everyone to look, while lot of people are waiting, and the low light

means that if anyone wiggles you're getting a blurry photo. My daylight photos turned 

out so much better and they are still cute and spooky!

I've always only taken this picture at night and it always ends up so fuzzy and blurry

because a flash isn't strong enough to add enough light to the photo. So I took one

during the day and I love it so much!

TIP #3 - GET GRANNY'S APPLE FRIES

This really has nothing to do with Brick-or-Treat, but it will always be one of my

tips. Get the apple fries! Actually get two because if you're sharing with your

kids, they are going to gobble them up and you'll be all like - I wish I had some more

apple fries. They are located in Castle Hill just as you cross over the drawbridge

on your left. Seriously. Get two.

TIP #4 - GET YOUR TREATS BEFORE BRICK-OR-TREAT

Once everyone is all dressed up and you're deep in the brick-or-treating, 

you're not going to want to take time to get your favorite LEGOLAND treats.

You'll preserve the costumes if kids aren't dripping treats all over them.

So, eat all the yummy things you love, like Magic Swirl Ice Cream, before it all starts. 

What? You haven't had Magic Swirl Ice Cream at LEGOLAND? Well, what are you

waiting for?! You can find it at The Market in THE BEGINNING or The Lego Clubhouse

in FUN TOWN. It comes in different fruity flavors and they are different at each 

location, so be sure to check them both out.

TIP #5 - CATCH A GAME OF MINI GOLF

You didn't know that you can play 18 holes of golf at LEGOLAND?

Wild Woods Golf makes that possible and it's a lot of fun. The lines for the

rides were long during the afternoon and so we happened upon Wild Woods after

grabbing our apple fries next door. There is no additional cost and kids of all size

and age are welcome to play.

TIP #6 - QUICK CHANGE & COME BACK

Don't tote your costumes around with you all day while you're at the park. Leave

them in the car and then head back about 3:30 to get changed. Brick-or-Treat starts

at 5:00, but those that are just coming for Brick-or-Treat can check-in starting at 3:00.

Since you've already been in the park, you can show your hand stamp at the return

entrance line and skip the long lines of people just trying to enter for the first time.

TIP #7 - LOOK FOR THE BOO CREW

Once you're all dressed up and ready for some Brick-or-Treating fun then

start looking for these cool carts or BOO CREW members to grab your treats.

Some of the treat carts are hidden back inside of rides, so even if you don't see the

markers sticking up, look for a BOO CREW member to direct you to where the line

starts. There's no LEGO set this year, so no need to stress or wait hours in one

line to nab your set. But there is a cute Brick-or-Treat commemorative DUPLO brick

in PIRATE SHORES, so be sure to grab that one!

See, this one treat cart was located within the queue at Dune Raiders in 

LAND OF ADVENTURE. We would have walked right past it if the BOO CREW

members hadn't been standing at the entrance and directed us to walk through

the line maze to get to it.

TIP #8 - FIND THE STILT WALKERS!

They are so super cool and they are always glad to take pictures with you. Catch them

early so that you have good light and before everyone else figures out that they will

take pictures with you and you have to wait in a long line to get your picture and waste

precious Brick-or-Treating time! This scarecrow in HEARTLAKE CITY fit in perfectly

with our farm themed costumes this year.

TIP #9 - CATCH A SPOOKY SHOW

There are several fun shows and entertainment throughout the park during the night,

so if you want to see one of them be sure to consult the EVENT GUIDE and make sure

you know what time they are happening so you don't miss them!

And if you're planning on entering the COSTUME CONTEST be sure you get

registered starting at 4:00 over in MINILAND and know which time your category 

is being judged!

TIP #10 - VISIT THE SINGING ROCKS

They are all dressed up for Halloween and they are looking sharp. They are located

on your right as you follow the path from FUN TOWN to HEARTLAKE CITY

and they've got some great tunes lined up for your entertainment.

TIP #11 - HAVE A PLAN AND HAVE FUN!

Sometimes I can get caught up in "beating the crowds" and getting the most "bang for

my buck" that I can become a task master during special events because I don't want

to miss anything and I want to do everything! Well, as I've matured and had more

kids, I realized my rigorous pace can suck the fun right out of the whole thing. So,

now, we do what we can do, we have fun and we say, "There always next year!"

Like this year, I missed the new GHOST CRUISE because by the time I remembered

about it, the line was long and I knew that Grace wasn't going to have anything to do

with it. So, I added to the "catch it next year" list along with the POP BADGE

CHALLENGE and just had fun with the kids doing the things they wanted to do.

So have a blast and leave a comment below giving me your best

Brick-or-Treat tip for having a great time!

BIG {and small} Adventures in the 2016 Mazda CX-5 #DriveMazda

When the 2016 Mazda CX-5 showed up at my door to test drive for a week, I was

instantly in love with this hybrid SUV with Skyactiv Technology. From the Soul Red

Metallic paint job to the 19-inch alloy wheels. So, even though I didn't have any BIG 

adventures planned for the day since the kids were at school, I immediately had to

take it on a small adventure so I could get behind the wheel and see what this pretty little

vehicle was capable of. So, I popped Gracie in the CX-5 and we headed to the store.

 

I love the advance keyless entry system that unlocks when the key is in proximity and
you put your hand on the handle. It makes it SO much easier to open the door when
you're juggling a toddler, the groceries and a giant diaper bag. I don't have to fish the key
out of the bottom of my bag, I just get close, put my hand in the handle, pull and BAM!
it's open! It's really so great! It also has great rear trunk space! Just look at all that room.
I put the stroller in there with several other things and there was still space to spare.

On the weekend we headed down to Carlsbad for Brick-or-Treat at LEGOLAND. It
was such a smooth drive and I loved using the cruise control. It also has Smart Brake
Support that alerts you when braking is immediately necessary and if you don't take
action, the CX-5 automatically applies the brakes. So cool! It also has  
Advanced Blind Spot Monitoring that helps detect objects in your blind spot and
alerts you with a chime and a light in your side mirror if there is someone in your blind
spot and you are trying to enter the lane. As with most all of the sensors on the car, you
can set the sensitivity and the volume of the notification. It had great acceleration and
 I never felt lag when I tried to hit the gas and felt it was always very smooth.

When the Drive Shop employee dropped off the CX-5 he joked that he was going to

show me the rain-sensing windshield wipers, but that since we live in Southern 

California I wouldn't need them. Well, I'm so glad he showed them to me, because 

it rained! And it was so cool to have them work and turn on during the rain. I went to 

my favorite fabric store in the rain and it handled great on the wet roads and having 

all the safety features made me feel safe!

Grace and I took a drive up to Yucaipa to go to Snowline Orchard for a fall apple
picking adventure. The big kids were in school, so it was fun to do something together.
I loved having the Sirius Satellite Radio to keep us entertained on the drive up the
mountain. The engine handled the drive up into the mountains perfectly. I don't have any
complaints about the power of the engine to pull the hills.

The interior is very aesthetically pleasing and also has a lot of great features. I loved all

the controls that were at my fingertips on the steering wheel - phone, audio, and cruise

control. The instrument panel was large and easy to read. The only thing I wish that it

had was a digital display for your speed. I found the numbers just a little hard to read

and with 20 in between the displayed numbers I was always worried about my speed.

The 7-inch full color touch screen let you control your apps, entertainment, navigation,
communication and settings. It was easy to toggle between the different choices and
easy to use. We didn't have to use the navigation much, but I didn't find it as user
friendly as other systems. I was thinking if I was my mom or dad trying to figure it out
and I know they would have had a steep learning curve when using it. It also bothered
me that you couldn't alter it or do many of the options when the car was in motion.
I know this is a safety feature, but it does make it frustrating when you need to make
changes to the route or want to enter something and you can't because the car isn't
in park. Other systems I've used didn't have that criteria and I found those easier to
use and more helpful when you're on an actual trip.

The interior was roomy and had plenty of room for four. I know that it has seat belts for

five, but our family of five couldn't comfortably fit in it. Since we have to have a booster

and toddler car seat, it made the middle back seat a very slim space. If you didn't have

to use car seats or maybe only needed one, then you could fit three small people in the

back comfortably. I loved the leg room and 8-way power driver's seat with power

adjustable lumbar support. The front seats also had heated controls. We didn't need to

use that option while we had the car, but it's always nice to have a warm seat on a

chilly day.

The back seat also had great leg room and the kids love the power moon-roof. We get

a lot of use out of that here in Orange County. It's especially fun to use at night when you

can see the stars. The were cup holders in the back doors and also in the center seat

when you folded it down. I felt like it was missing a rear climate control. I know that the

back seat isn't far from the front seat, but I always like to have a vent to blow on me

when I'm sitting in the back.

There is ample trunk space and it has a retractable shade to keep the sun off of your

cargo. The one feature I thought the CX-5 was missing was a power cargo gate lift. 

When you have kids and they need to get into the back and to get something out, but

they are too short, so you have to get out of the car in your jammies to help them close it

when you're dropping off for school drop-off, that's not really cool. So, I'd like to see

Mazda add a power cargo gate to match all the other great auto and power features

that the CX-5 already has.

 

We had a great time in Mazda CX-5 and I would definitely love to drive one again. It

has a ton of great safety features and a lot of added bonus features that just make it a

really great car. Check out my YouTube video below for some of my other favorite

options that the CX-5 has to offer!

Pumpkin Spice Oatmeal Cookies

In honor of National Pumpkin Day and because we love pumpkin at our house (well,
some of us do anyway), I'm sharing a fun recipe for delicious Pumpkin Spice Oatmeal
Cookies. I combined my favorite oatmeal cookie recipe with these delicious pumpkin
spice chips I picked up at the market the other day. I knew I could put them to good use
and when I made Oatmeal Scotchies the other day, it hit me that these pumpkin chips
would work perfectly to make a fun pumpkin treat.




If you love all things pumpkin or have some in your house, then it's time to whip up a
batch of these and make those tummies happy! They are quick and easy to bake up,
the leave your house smelling delicious, and they are super yummy. They have the right
bit of spice and pumpkin. So, even if you're not a pumpkin lover, you just might like them.

{INGREDIENTS}
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1 3/4 cups flour
1 tsp cinnamon (and maybe a dash more)
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3 cups quick oats or old fashioned oats
10 oz bag pumpkin spice chips

{DIRECTIONS}

{1} Preheat your oven to 325 degrees.

{2} Cream together in your mixer the butter and both sugars until light and fluffy. It takes 

about 2-3 minutes to get the right fluffiness.

{3} Beat the in the eggs and vanilla until well combined.

{4} In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and oats. I have

used both quick and old fashioned oats and I like them the same. The old fashioned

oats are larger and so they make the cookies slightly chewier, but still delicious.

{5} Spray or line your cookie sheets with parchment paper. Then, using a large cookie

scoop drop 12 scoops of dough 2" apart.

{6} Bake for about 12 minutes. Allow the cookies to cool on the cookie sheet for

at least 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.

Do you love pumpkin? 
What's your favorite fall recipe to whip 
up with this delicious ingredient?

Family Fun at Rockin' Jump Orange County + Discount!

Disclosure: We received admission to Rockin' Jump for review purposes. All opinions are our own.

The kids love trampoline parks. They are a great place to have fun, work out energy,

and do cool tricks. Rockin' Jump Orange County is the ultimate trampoline park that

combines trampolines trampolines, foam pits, and a rock climbing feature all into one

big place to have fun as a family. They do require all jumpers to purchase and wear 

a pair of reusable Rockin' Socks. No other outside socks are allowed.

But it's so much more than just a trampoline park - it's a birthday party destination!

There are private party rooms, a lounge where parents and pooped out jumpers can

catch their breath, and event a cafe to fuel your body so you're ready for more jumping.

Grace loved the foam cube pits. She could practice her balance on the beam and have

fun jousts with her big brother. We were there on an afternoon when there weren't many

people. The X-Beam has rules about jousting with those of your own size and legal

hits and such, but since the kids had the beam to themselves, they just had a good

time playing around with one another.

There were lots and lots trampolines for a lot of jumping space. Each of my kids jumped

to their heart's content and always had their own space for bouncing all over the place.

They never complained that there wasn't anything to do. We've had that happen to us

at other jump parks, so that was refreshing.

This part of Rockin' Jump was Grace's favorite. It had three trampolines that launched

you into onto an air-filled stunt bag. It was a really cool attraction and loved doing her

cool tricks into the bag and then starting all over again.

The Vertigo Climbing Tower was a favorite with Isabella. She climbed it a handful of 

times while we were there. When you get to the top, you can ring the buzzer to let

everyone know that you made it. I think there were 6 different spots for climbers, so

you could race your friends to the top and the wait was never too long.

There were also Slam Dunk Zones and Dodge Ball Arenas. JT had fun showing off his

basketball dunking skills in the Slam Dunk Zone. We didn't really play dodge ball, but

there were other guests in there having a great time.

The VIP birthday area had Isabella begging to have her birthday party at Rockin' Jump.

It's on the same floor as the attractions and even has a cool balloon drop above your

head. It definitely looks like a fun place to have your birthday party.

We also happened to be there on a Neon Jumpnight and it was so cool! The lights go

out, the strobe lights and black lights come on and the music is pumping. You definitely

want to white or glow-in-the-dark clothes to make it even more fun. Isabella loved

climbing the Vertigo Climbing Tower while all the cool light effects were going.

Neon Jumpnight is super cool and I guarantee that everyone will love it! My kids said

it was their favorite part of our jump time. Grace was in her element with the music

and she was dancing all over the place. I couldn't keep her in one place. She went from

one attraction to the other and had a fabulous time.

We had a blast at Rockin' Jump Orange County and the kids can't wait to get back.

I will definitely be looking into having Isabella's birthday there.

Rockin' Jump Orange County is located at

1411 S. Village Way

Santa Ana, CA 92705

Telephone: 714-249-7676

{DISCOUNT CODE}

My readers get to save! FREE SECOND HOUR OF JUMP - Get a second 

hour of jump FREE with the purchase of your first hour!

TOO Cute Tuesday: Linky Par-Tay! #308

Sunday was our Primary Program at church and it is my favorite Sunday

of the year. Both JT and Isabella sang in small groups and did such a great

job. Little Miss Grace won't be old enough for 2 more years, but I bet she'll

be the kid that yells into the microphone and makes everyone snicker . . .

because you know, there's always one of those every year.

Now onto TOO Cute Tuesday!

What did you make this week that is TOO Cute??

Come link up!

Rules:

• Must be made by you.
• Link up to the specific post - not your main blog.
• No Etsy shops or giveaways please :)
• Please post the button or link back here so more people can join in the fun.
• Visit some of the other participants and leave them some LOVE!

TOO Cute Tuesday will be open Tuesday-Saturday.
On Saturday or Monday I'll highlight some of my favorites
and then we'll start over on Tuesday!


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I changed the linky party so that the most recently uploaded project will show up as number one. This way everyone gets a chance on top. So, look in the first spot for your project, not at the end. Thanks!!!