Tonya Staab

Kids Go Free to LEGOLAND (for a limited time)

Disclosure: I receive complimentary tickets to LEGOLAND in exchange for providing you information about this promotional offer. #LEGOLANDKidsGoFree

You all know how much we love LEGOLAND! My kids are still obsessed with LEGO, and so of course want to spend as much time at LEGOLAND as possible.

Well, for a limited time, KIDS GO FREE to LEGOLAND® California Resort* when you buy Honest Kids Juice 8ct Carton at any retailer. The offer on the box includes a FREE Child Hopper Ticket with a full paid Adult Hopper Ticket admission coupon to LEGOLAND® California Resort. Yes, you read that right!

So, what’s waiting for you at LEGOLAND California Resort?! Well for starters there's more than 60 rides, shows and attractions. But, there's lots of new things to do too ...

10 Things To Do at Knott's Spooky Farm

Disclosure: We were invited to spend a complimentary day at Knott's Spooky Farm

Knott's Spooky Farm is one of our favorite annual activities around Halloween time.

We could have easily spent a couple of days there to really experience all there is to do, and so you can make the most of your time there we've rounded up 10 activities that you won't want to miss.

Visit the pumpkin patch and decorate a pumpkin.

The kids loved decorating their first pumpkin of the fall season, and they are proudly sitting outside on our front porch. Tip: don't forget to take a bag to carry them around the park, or leave this activity until the end of the day.

It's Always Summer At Great Wolf Lodge

Just because the twins' are back in school, and autumn decor and pumpkins are filling the stores doesn't mean we can't hang onto summer a little bit longer.

When I think of summer, I think of warmth, swimming, beaches, water parks, enjoying yummy treats, playing games galore, and having fun. And we've found the perfect place to do that year-round ... Great Wolf Lodge.

While in Kentucky over summer break we were invited to a media day at Great Wolf Lodge, and it just so happened our plan was to be back in California the day before so that I could finish last-minute paperwork for middle school registration. Well, it's not surprising that there were a LOT of shiny objects on our 3-day trek home in the car so we got home a little later than expected, finally falling asleep in our own beds at 1am after dropping off our rental car and making our way home. Then it was back up at 7am to head to Great Wolf Lodge for the day. Honestly, we were tired, and I didn't know how long we'd last, but we had never been before and when the kids heard water park they didn't care about missing a little sleep because I'd been promising all summer to get them to one.

And it very quickly became one of their favorite places, and they've already asked if we can return again next month and stay overnight for their birthday.

We didn't stay overnight this time, but we did tour the rooms, the hotel, did as many of the fun activities they have for kids as we possibly could, and enjoyed an amazing lunch.

Choose Your Own Adventure at Knott's Berry Farm

Disclosure: The kids' and I were treated to an awesome day at Ghost Town Alive for media day thanks to Knott's. #GhostTownAlive

From May 27th through September 4th, Ghost Town Alive! returns to Knott’s Berry Farm for another action-packed summer complete with bandits, cowboys, robberies, judges, and a good ol’ western hoedown.

 

Ghost Town Alive! is the first immersive experience at a theme park where you get to interact with characters in an authentic western adventure through choosing-your-own adventure that will change the course of the day through actions you take in the beloved town of Calico.  It was a lot of fun watching the adventures of my friends through social media as we each seemed to experience a lot of different things. Not long after we arrived in Calico, we popped into the school house where the teacher wanted to know a cowboy's name, she though he was 'mighty handsome', and so off we went on our first adventure to not only find out his name, but then relay a message back to her that he wanted her to be his date for the hoedown that evening, and back and forth we went. It was a lot of fun matchmaking. Then we delivered lost parcels, passed notes between shop keepers, and were sworn in as official citizens at Town Hall.

 

One of the highlights though is the story of the Mayfield Gang who had escaped the custody of Sheriff Wheeler. Word around town is they'd  been spotted back in Calico and the townsfolk are in need of some help in capturing the bandits and keeping the town safe. So, you get to play an important part in this unfolding story of the wild west, with specific tasks and activities to help capture the gang. And don't forget to stay for the hoedown at the end of the day.

Boysenberry Goodness in Southern California

If you aren't familiar with the boysenberry, you are missing out.

Boysenberries are dark purple, look a little like a blackberry, but taste more like a raspberry. The berries can also apparently grow up to 1-2 inches in length - according to the lovely gentleman working in the Western Trails Museum at Knott's Berry Farm, who gave us a little lesson on the boysenberry during the week when we were visiting.

And where does one go to try a whole lot of boysenberry goodness? Knott's Berry Farm during the annual Boysenberry Festival of course.

The roots of Knott’s Berry Farm stretch back to the early 1930s when Walter Knott nurtured the only surviving boysenberry vines back to health and began selling the berries from his fruit stand on Beach Blvd. in Buena Park, California. The popular purple little boysenberry put Knott’s Berry Farm on the road to being America’s first theme park. The rest, as they say, is history. As the birthplace of the delectable boysenberry Knott’s Berry Farm once again showcases the little berry that started it all with a spectacular 23-day food and beverage celebration. The festival features one-of-a-kind and unbelievable boysenberry based (and inspired) food items, craft beverages, desserts, plus live entertainment, and fun for everyone!

And it's not too late to visit the Boysenberry Festival at Knott's Berry Farm, the festival will be running through April 23rd.

Summer Fun at LEGOLAND® California

Disclosure: We are given passes to attend LEGOLAND California in exchange for sharing about the great deals and latest happenings.

If you had plans to take the kids to LEGOLAND California this summer, then now is the time to do it.  You can enjoy unlimited admission now through December 25, 2016, with a LEGOLAND Play Pass on sale for a limited time and must be redeemed by July 31 st , 2016.

If you haven't been to LEGOLAND in a while there are some great new areas to explore including the recently opened LEGO® NINJAGO® World.

Some of our favorite areas of LEGOLAND California to explore are: