TOO Cute Tuesday: Linky Par-Tay! #397

Wait, what day is it? I must be in vacation mode! What's in your pool bag?  I shared my essentials plus some tips for enjoying your day at the water park. Check it out and let me know if I missed anything!

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!


<a border="0" href="http://funkypolkadotgiraffe.blogspot.com/search/label/Too%20Cute%20Tuesday" target="_blank"><img src="http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p12/mormishgirl/Blog/TooCuteTuesdayNEW.jpg" /></a>


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!!!

Summer Family Adventures in the 2018 Mitsubishi Outlander GT

It's summertime and the livin' is easy! Especially when you have the 2018 Mitsubishi Outlander GT  to drive and get around town in. Even though it's summer and we don't have the schedule of school and after school activities, we are still busy, busy, busy! So I was excited for the chance to test drive the 2018 Mitsubishi Outlander GT for the week and try out all the great features it has to offer.

The kids were super excited when the Outlander was delivered and it was just in time for the Fourth of July holiday week. They thought it was super cool how the Diamond White Pearl exterior matched perfectly with our red, white, and blue motif for church that Sunday. I loved the heated, power side-view mirrors, power glass sunroof, and 18-inch two-tone alloy wheels.

The power side-view mirrors are probably my favorite exterior feature of the 2018 Outlander. When you unlock the car, they fold out, and when you lock the car they fold in. This means no more dings and scratches on your side-view mirrors from other parked car doors or shopping carts trying to squeeze by in the parking lot. Now, because it's the middle of summer, I didn't need to use the heated feature on the side-view mirrors. But I know that it would really come in handy on frosty winter mornings here in Orange County.

We drove the 2018 Mitsubishi Outlander GT down to Carlsbad to attend the ribbon cutting ceremony on the new LEGO City: Deep Sea Adventure Submarine ride at LEGOLAND and I appreciated all the safety features that kept us safe on our adventure. The Adaptive Cruise Control uses radar technology to help you maintain a safe driving distance from the vehicle in front of you. 

The Forward Collision Mitigation uses both laser radar and camera technology to determine  if a frontal collision with a vehicle or pedestrian is imminent. It warns you with both audible and visual signals and, if necessary, automatically applies moderate to emergency braking to reduce the severity of the collision, or if possible, prevent the collision. 

The Blind Spot Warning and Lane Change Assist alerted me when a vehicle was in my blind spot. That is so helpful when you are traveling on the freeway. And if you try to change lanes while someone is in your blind spot, then you get a three-beep warning to let you know to stay put until the car is gone. The Lane Departure Warning keeps you in your lane using an onboard camera and warns you audibly and visually if you are leaving your lane unintentionally.

Let's talk about the cargo space! The 2018 Outlander GT is a seven passenger vehicle when the third row of seats is up. However, when you need space for stuff and not for people, the Outlander has you covered! It is easy peasy to put the third row of seats down and then you have plenty of space (63.3 cubic feet to be exact) for everything you need for a day at the beach. We had a wagon, two chairs, an umbrella, two boogie boards, beach bag, towels, and puddle jumper in there and it all fit with no problem.

Then we had some quick grocery shopping to do after the beach and the groceries all fit along with all of our beach supplies. The back seat is a 50/50 split, so you can seat a 6th person and still have some extra room for cargo. It came in especially handy when all five us were in the Outlander because all three kids didn't want to sit next to one another on the middle bench. So, we would 50/50 the third row and Isabella would sit back there and the stroller would still fit next to her.

We also love the power glass sunroof with sunshade and tilt feature! It makes trips to the pool for evening swims a lot of fun. It has been really hot here during the day, but the evenings are a great time to open up and enjoy the cooler evening air with the sunroof.

Some of the other features I liked from the 2018 Mitsubishi Outlander GT are:

• Multi-view Camera System
• 7" Smart Touchscreen Display
• Rockford Fosgate Sound System
• Leather seats
• Push to Start 
• Remote Power Tailgate

We loved driving around in the 2018 Outlander. It handles well and even though it seats seven, I feel like the exterior design is sleek and doesn't look bulky. It was the perfect size for our family of five and I'd recommend it for a families of 3-6 also.

Shark Week Shirt Tutorial: Come to the Shark Side #SharkWeek

It's no secret that we love us some Star Wars at this house, but did you also know that we love sharks too? We live for SHARK WEEK and we can't wait each summer to watch this crazy week long celebration of sharks. I don't if it's because we live in Southern California and are avid beach goers or if it's because I wanted to be a Marine Biologist when I was a kid, but the love of the ocean and these mysterious creatures is strong with this family!

So, this year, I decided to really get into the spirit of SHARK WEEK and create a fun t-shirt design to commemorate the week. I combined our love of Star Wars with our love of SHARK WEEK and the COME TO THE SHARK SIDE t-shirt design was born!

{CUTTING THE DESIGN}

I created the design in Photoshop and then saved it as a format that could be used by my Silhouette SD machine. Yes! I still have the Silhouetted SD. Maybe one day I'll get upgraded to the Silhouette Cameo. If you're listening Silhouette America - I am open to sponsorship! Hee, hee! 

I like to do a cut of the design in paper first to make sure I like how the size and dimensions work on the shirt I'm working with. It helps me to get a visual of the design on the shirt and make sure that the cut design translates well to a vinyl iron-on image.

Then, before you cut your vinyl design, make sure that you have flipped it to MIRROR IMAGE or backwards so that the words are facing the right way when you iron it on. You'll load the heat transfer vinyl with the clear plastic backing down. I always use a mat, but with the HTV you don't have to.

Set your blade and cut settings to the type of material you are using. You don't want it to cut through the clear plastic backing, because after you weed your design (or remove all the extra vinyl from around the design), you want your design to be stuck to the clear film so you can flip it and iron it onto your shirt.

{WEED AND IRON ON}

Once it's all cut, it's time to weed! Once all the extra vinyl is weeded (or removed), then you iron it on! TIP: To make sure I get the design centered on the shirt, I fold the shirt in half and iron a crease into the shirt. Follow the directions on the HTV product for how long to iron and such. Then, get to ironing!

{WEAR AND ENJOY}

I think this would be super cute on a tote bag, but Grace is loving it as a super cool shark shirt. She insisted on having her diving sharks in the the picture too, so they hitched a ride in her pockets. I hope you enjoy SHARK WEEK and this t-shirt design. 

You can download the Silhouette cut file by clicking here!

DO YOU LOVE SHARK WEEK? HOW DO YOU CELEBRATE?

TOO Cute Tuesday: Linky Par-Tay! #396

Mmmm . . . do you love real slow cooked BBQ? We are in love with this fantastic BBQ place in San Juan Capistrano called Bad to the Bone BBQ. We went as a family this weekend and it was so good! The portions are HUGE! So I had plenty of leftovers for lunch the next day!

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!


<a border="0" href="http://funkypolkadotgiraffe.blogspot.com/search/label/Too%20Cute%20Tuesday" target="_blank"><img src="http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p12/mormishgirl/Blog/TooCuteTuesdayNEW.jpg" /></a>


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!!!

Top 10 Tips for Enjoying a Day at Knott's Soak City Water Park

One of my favorite thing about summer time in Orange County is all the great options for water play with the family. One of our favorite places to cool off and splash around is Knott's Soak City! If you've never been, you'll definitely want to add it to your summer bucket list. And if you have, then you're going to want to make sure you make a return visit this summer and enjoy all that Knott's Soak City has to offer.

I love Knott's Soak City because it is easy to navigate and get around and there is something for everyone in the family to enjoy! So join me as I give you my TOP 10 TIPS for enjoying Knott's Soak City to the fullest!

{1} GRAB A MAP - MAKE A PLAN
If your family is anything like mine, then they all want to do something different when you arrive somewhere and everyone wants to take off in a different direction. If you check out a Knott's Soak City map before you get to the water park, you can make a plan for where you'll try to sit, where you'll meet if you get separated and maybe make a rough schedule for what you want to do during your visit.

{2} GET THERE EARLY

To make sure that you get seats in the shade and can get on some of the more popular water slides before the lines get long, you'll want to arrive early. This means that if the park opens at 10:00am, I like to be parked and in line by 9:30 so that we can get through security and find our seats in the shade for the day.
The grass areas are also up for grabs, so a lot of people bring their own chairs and umbrellas and set up in the grass for the day. If you do bring an umbrella, it has to be less than 8' in diameter.

{3} BRING WATER

You'll want to stay hydrated and bottled water and sports drinks are one of the things you can bring into Soak City. You can bring small hand-held coolers that don't exceed 12"x18" and contain only water and sports drinks. 

{4} WEAR FLIP FLOPS

The ground can get really hot - especially on the bridges! So wear a cheap pair of flip flops wherever you go in the park. You won't be able to wear them on most of the slides, so make sure it's a pair you're okay leaving them at the ride entrance while you ride.

Photo Credit: Jennifer Willey

{5} RENT A LOCKER (OR A CABANA)

You can rent a small locker for $15 and it's the best choice to make at the water park. It's a great place to store your keys and other important personal items (WALLET!) so that you can feel free to play and not worry about leaving it unattended while you float the lazy river a half dozen times.

If you're up for fancier accommodations, consider renting a cabana for you and seven of your closest friends. You'll get a patio table with umbrella and four chairs, four lounge chairs, 4 inner tube rentals, and waiter service. 

{6} BRING A WATERPROOF PHONE CASE
I like to keep my phone with me while I'm the water park to take pictures and to be reachable in case of emergency. So, I always bring my waterproof phone case to keep my phone safe and dry. My favorite is the Extra Large Waterproof Floating Case by CaliCase because it floats and it's HOT PINK! If you forget to bring one, there is a gift shop inside Soak City that has cases for sale.

{7} GO ON THE POPULAR SLIDES FIRST
Lines on the big slides can get backed up, so you'll definitely want to ride slides like The Wedge, Shore Break, and Banzai Fall first thing. As soon as we get settled in our spot for the day, I tell the kids to pick the slide they want to go on most and go there first!

{8} GET THE ONION RINGS (AND THE SOUVENIR BOTTLE!)
Seriously. They are delicious! You'll thank me! The kids were crazy for the chicken tenders and we split all the food between the four of us and everyone was fueled and ready for more fun!

You'll also want to grab a refillable souvenir bottle for drinks! It's only $11.99 online and you get FREE REFILLS the entire first day of purchase. Then refills are only $1.00 on any future visit and can be used at both Soak City and Knott's Berry Farm. Boysenberry Punch, y'all!



{9} BRING FRIENDS
Soak City is WAY more fun when you have friends to enjoy it with! The kids can buddy up and go on all their favorite slides together - it's awesome! You can also get Knott's Berry Farm Gold Season Pass so that you can enjoy Soak City all summer!

{10} DON'T FORGET THE ESSENTIALS

If you're going to be at Soak City all day, you're going to want to make sure that you have everything you'll need to make sure the day is enjoyable for everyone.

So, don't forget:

*sunscreen

*towels (there is no towel rental)

*sunglasses

*hat
*cover-up

*US Coast Guard approved puddle jumper

*swim diapers

Additionally, leave the following items at home, because they won't let you bring them in:

*glass containers of any kind

*large coolers

*pool floats (sorry, no giant unicorn floaties!)

*snorkels and/or fins

There you have my TOP 10 TIPS for a successful day at Knott's Soak City. You can check out our FIVE FAVORITE THINGS about Knott's Soak City too for even more great info about this awesome water park.

WHAT'S YOUR BEST TIP FOR ENJOYING A DAY AT THE WATER PARK?

TOO Cute Tuesday: Linky Par-Tay! #395

Are you keeping cool over the summer? We headed to Knott's Soak City with friends last week and it was a blast! The kids loved running around and riding all the big slides and Grace and I kicked it in the Sunset River, Tidal Wave Bay, and Gremmie Lagoon! Do you have a favorite summer spot?

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!


<a border="0" href="http://funkypolkadotgiraffe.blogspot.com/search/label/Too%20Cute%20Tuesday" target="_blank"><img src="http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p12/mormishgirl/Blog/TooCuteTuesdayNEW.jpg" /></a>


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!!!

TOO Cute Tuesday: Linky Par-Tay! #394

I hope you had a wonderful Fourth of July last week! And now we return you to your regularly scheduled programming :D We had a busy week which included a trip to LEGOLAND California to check out the new Deep Sea Adventure submarine ride. We were the first non-employee riders and it was so much fun!! There is an interactive treasure hunt and real fish swimming around! You will love it!

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!


<a border="0" href="http://funkypolkadotgiraffe.blogspot.com/search/label/Too%20Cute%20Tuesday" target="_blank"><img src="http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p12/mormishgirl/Blog/TooCuteTuesdayNEW.jpg" /></a>


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!!!