FLASH GIVEAWAY: Discover the Dinosaurs Exhibit Family 4 Pack Tickets Sacramento CA

My son loves Dinosaurs! At 5 years old he finds them fascinating, creepy and cool. I had no idea that a super cool exhibit was on its way to Sacramento until I saw a commercial for it. The Discover the Dinosaurs Exhibit is coming to Sacramento CA on April 25 and 26th at Cal Expo. 

Some info about the traveling exhibit:

Discover the Dinosaurs is for the entire family, and especially kids, to explore the mystery of pre-historic life in an environment of learning, discovery, and fun. Discover the Dinosaurs is a unique hands on exhibit that consists of up to 40 moving and replica museum quality dinosaurs that gives you the opportunity to actually get close and touch the dinosaurs! Beyond the exhibit, additional fun activities are available for kids of all ages, which make spending the day with the dinosaurs a great experience for the entire family.

GIVEAWAY:

2 Winners will receive Family 4-Packs of Exhibit Plus tickets with wristbands for all of the rides/inflatables. Tickets will be delivered via email from sponsor.

Easy Entry for this Giveaway on of two ways:

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*Limited to US residents 18 years old and above. Giveaway starts April 22, 2015 and ends on April 23, 2015 at 9pm PST. Winner will be tweeted or facebook messaged that they won and has until 10am on 4/24/2015 to respond before another winner is selected. I was not paid for this giveaway or post. The opinions in this post are 100% mine and may vary from others. The sponsor is responsible for providing the prize. 

Disney on Ice Rockin' Ever After in Sacramento CA Show Review #ad

Disney on Ice Rockin' Ever After is in Sacramento until Feb. 17th. It is the perfect opportunity to take your family to see their favorite Disney princesses and Mickey Mouse. We attended the show last night as our family Valentine's Day activity. We had a wonderful time seeing the show. This winter was the first time my son tried ice skating and went to Disneyland so this show was a perfect family event to go to.

The children attending the show we so cute! Many of the little girls were dressed in Disney character outfits and bringing along their favorite Disney toys. I brought my son's Mickey Mouse ears from Disneyland but sadly forgot it in the car. I know for next time that he can dress up in his Buzz Lightyear outfit and he will fit right in. This show is somewhat geared towards princesses but my little prince had a wonderful time.

The best part of the show for my family was when we first saw Mickey and Minnie Mouse, the crowd went wild. My son was genuinely giggling when he saw Goofy being silly. Having just been to Disneyland my son was talking about each character we saw and the ride or event he saw them at.

My son with his King Triton trident 

Rapunzel from Tangled and Merida from Brave are two princesses that my son considers to be "cool" enough to get excited about. He clapped along with the songs and was wowed by the lights. I thought it was a well put together show that kept the kids interested. I loved the ice skating and my favorite Disney princess, Belle. My favorite scene from Beauty and the Beast where the dishes all come alive was displayed with wonderment. I will never forget what my son said when Beast gifts his whole library to Belle, he said " Mom so sweet!" I love that he was so into the show that he could see the love between the characters in the story. My son does not know about Belle, Beast and Gaston but I am sure after this show I will have to let him see the movie.

The lighting and the props of the show were great. The finale to the show was perfect! This is my first time attending a Disney on Ice show and I highly recommend it for Disney fans. The Rockin part of the show was nice too, they included non Disney music and dancing that had everyone dancing in their seats and many kids dancing in the the aisles. We did sit very far up in the arena seating so I do recommend spending a little more money and get seats close enough for your kids too see the ice skating. We did still love the show from any seat we were in. I think this would be a great way to celebrate Valentine's Day. The show in Sacramento at the Sleep Train Arena will be going on now until Feb. 17th, 2014. You can purchase your tickets from Ticketmaster.

*This is not a paid post. We were guest of the show and was provided tickets to attend.

Disney on Ice Rockin' Ever After Coming to Sacramento Feb. 12-17 #ad

I have always loved watching ice skating, my family of boys not so much. I found the perfect show we can go watch together to make it exciting for them and for me to watch ice skating, Disney on Ice! We just got back from our vacation at Disneyland so this will be a fun way for my son to remember the magic of Disney.

Feb 12-17, 2014, Sleep Train Arena Get ready to rock out with some of the most magical idols of all in a musical showcase that features the hottest tunes and talent from across the kingdom in Disney On Ice presents Rockin' Ever After! Jam to a Scottish jig as a group of royal contenders from the latest Disney/Pixar film, Brave, competes to win the heart of headstrong, sharp-shooting Merida, making her ice debut! Experience a show-stopping performance as Sebastian breaks out of his shell for one night only to make waves with Ariel. A chorus of harmless hooligans from Tangled unleashes musical mayhem when they get a visit from the sassy and spirited Rapunzel and her charming ally Flynn. And, get your feet moving as the Beast and his castle's enchanted entourage take center stage in a spectacular show for Belle.

Now Open: Elinor Friend Playground at the San Francisco Zoo

For my son's 4th birthday we were looking for something special to do. For his first birthday we took him to the Sacramento Zoo and his love of giraffes began there. We wanted to experience a large zoo with more animals and attractions to see. The San Francisco Zoo was the perfect answer for us. We had a wonderful time at the Zoo and we were able to have a preview of the new Elinor Friend Playground. The new playground has 3 different themed playgrounds that are each unique and offer different play experiences.

Imagination Fun at the Sacramento Discovery Museum

We have an annual pass to the Sacramento Discovery Museum that I won from a local Sacramento Magazine. I had no clue what to expect from the museum. I have read its small but a fun interactive place for the kids. We went on Mother's Day to have a day of imagination play and discovery. They had many areas for the kids to play in. A whole kitchen area where kids can dress up as a chef and play with all the pretend play food in the kid size wooden fridge and stoves. My son had a great time pretending to make us all dinner.

His favorite part of the museum is the Space Discovery area. He enjoys the stars and the moon. I read him many books about space and the planets so this place was like his books coming alive, I loved that. We played with a toy that is very familiar to us, my son has one of the space toys the museum has that he loves.

The coolest part was the play room that looked just like a spaceship cockpit. There were buttons to push, computer parts to mess with and steering wheels to drive the spaceship into outer space. He loved putting on the astronaut helmet to pretend to be a space man as he called it. There were even space suits to put on. Many other kids were wearing them but there were not enough for my son to wear one too so he just wore the helmet. The hardest part was getting my son to get out of the space ship and out of his imagination mode of he was an astronaut, not really a bad thing though :)

This museum is more of a kids play zone, there is learning of course through play, the best way to learn. I think the museum part made me not understand what this place was. We had fun and even saw an live animal show with a tiny owl. We will be going back again soon to have a day of imaginary fun.

How do you encourage your children's imagination?

Six Flags Discovery Kingdom Cirque Dreams Splashtastic Show and More!

Six Flags Discovery Kingdom is our favorite place in Northern CA to visit. It has all the things that make an amusement park fun, rides, animal shows, good food and a friendly staff. The main thing we are looking forward to for our trip is the new Dolphin Show  Cirque Dreams Splashtastic. 

I was very excited to see the new show in the dolphin arena. I read about the show less than a month ago and have been waiting to see it. It is created by a Broadway Director and the creator of Cirque Dreams. The cast of the show are from 9 countries to create a well rounded and entertaining show. 

The show was great! The costume and set design were very colorful and entertaining. The aerial acrobatics were amazing, there was a woman on a high rope swing and woman doing super cool hula hoop tricks. The was a set of men that were doing feats of strength! It was neat to see how strong they were. There was a balancing act that was neat to see but when on a bit too long. My son was losing interest and asked where the dolphins were. It was a great show, a nice addition to the park. I only wish there was more dolphin action. We sat too close to the speakers and did get a bit blasted by the music, next time we will sit higher up. It was fun to see, I am glad we took the time to see it.

My son LOVES animals so each time we saw one, he would ask for another one. We saw sting rays, seals, walruses, penguins and sharks!

One show we have not been able to see is the Elephant show. There are so many cool shows if you plan your day right you can see many of them. My son always asks about it and this time we set our phone alarm to make sure we saw it. Before the show we were able to see the trainers give the elephant a bath, we were so close to the elephant it was amazing!

Of course one of the cool parts of an amusement park is the RIDES! We stick to the kid rides as my husband and I are not thrill ride kinda people lol.

We had a WONDERFUL time at Six Flags Discovery Kingdom. I love going several times a year since they are constantly having theme days and new events. We feel lucky to live close enough for a day trip to a Six Flags park. Its family friendly and we always have a great time having fun. This time I took my mother in law with us. She has never been to the park and was amazed at how much there was to do there. She rode many of the kid rides and even got on a horse on the merry go round. She said she had not been on a merry go round since my husband was a little kid. I love that at Six Flags even Grandma can become a kid again!

Anytime my son spots one of the Looney Toon characters we must stop to talk to them, give them a hug and take a picture. So cute!

*This is not a paid post. We were guest of Six Flags Discovery Kingdom for the day.

Father's Day Idea: Six Flags Discovery Kingdom Vallejo CA

I asked my husband what he wanted to do for Father's Day and he said surprise me with something fun, outdoors, the whole family can be there, good food and a great place to make memories. That could be many things, but for me I thought Six Flags!! We love going there as a family to enjoy the rides, eat the food and see the animal shows. Our son loves the dolphin and whale shows and even our nephew was just talking about the dolphin show that he saw at Discovery Kingdom last summer on their vacation to CA.

This year the dolphin show has a new theme, Cirque Dreams Splashtastic. The new show features a dazzling dramatic mix of mesmerizing dolphin performances along with spectacular Cirque Dreams feats that will create and entertainment experience beyond your wildest imagination.

This dynamic visual spectacle combines the Cirque Dreams acrobats’ amazing feats of strength with the graceful leaps and bows of the popular marine mammals at the park. The teaming of the internationally renowned company of acrobats, aerialists and astounding Cirque Dreams acts alongside the dolphins will amaze in the air, over water and throughout the Dolphin Harbor Theater.


We are so excited to be going to Six Flags Discovery Kingdom to celebrate Father's Day and see the new Cirque Dreams Splashtastic!! My husband loves riding the kids rides with our son and eating tri tip sandwiches. This time I want to catch the elephant show, we seem to miss it each time. There is always so much to do in one day. Oh and the go carts, we want to ride those too.


*This is not a paid post. We will be guest of Discovery Kingdom.

Memorial Weekend Ideas: Family Fun at the Sacramento County Fair

Wow what a day!!! My family and I went to the opening day of the Sacramento County Fair held at Cal Expo. We had so much fun. We rode the rides, we had all sorts of fair food, saw some really fun shows, danced to cowboy music, my son went on a pony ride and he even was in a show as a kid cowboy. We had a day filled with fun and made many great memories.

This show was fun! This husband and wife team had a great act that finished with juggling fire while riding unicycles. 

My son rode every kid kid at least 10 times lol He kept saying Wow Cool this is Awesome! 

The kids tractor area had little tractors to ride, a mock cow to milk wooden cows to rope and even a kid tractor pull contest.

We always have to get Tri-Tip at a fair! We had a big dinner at the Big Bear BBQ stand. So good! 

We met the nicest couple while riding the FREE Train ride! She was a sweet lady who told us about the cool stuff at the fair, her family and gave high fives to people as we rode around on the train. The Western Express train was so fun my son did not want to get off. They were nice enough to let us ride for a while so we could rest our legs, get some shade from the warm day and my son could drink his Slurpee. Thanks to Sleep Train and the Sacramento County fair for inviting the Western Express to come to the fair and give out free train rides.

This was so funny! A Cowboy Clown on stilts lifted my little guy up.

One of my husbands favorite parts of the fair! The gardening and the animals. We were able to pet the cute little farm animals, learn facts about them and my son was even able to sit on a cow. The junior handlers for the livestock were such great kids. They were nice to us and helped my son learn more about the animals they were showing.

This goat had the cutest big floppy ears!

My son wanted to see the Wild West show with Cowboys and Horses we had walked pass but missed the first showing of so I set my phone to remind me of when the next show started. Oh my am I glad I did that. This was the cutest show ever! It is even called the Cutest Show on Earth! The show has a story line that the host carries out but includes kids from the audience. Such a cool idea! My son was the coolest little rootin tootin cowboy of the show. He got on stage and was the star of the show for about 10 minutes. She asked him questions, showed him how to use his "five" shooters and he was able to be a cowboy on stage. He said some silly things, was a little confused but it made it even cuter. My husband and I were giggling so much and he had the biggest smile on his face. I definitely recommend attending the Cutest Show on Earth if you bring your kids to the fair.

Riding the Merry Go Round for the 20th time lol

We had a ton of fun! We did so many things there is not enough room in my post to include all the great pictures. I also recommend the ride wristband. It was a big savings to be able to ride any of the rides we wanted and not have to worry about how many tickets we had left. My son rode his first big roller coaster this year with his Dad. He had a look of oh my on his face but was yelling this is so cool and told me he wanted to do it again as soon as he got off. There is also an indoor play area that is air conditioned if you need a cool down filled with interactive areas like giant bubbles, building blocks, giant chess and checker board and more.

We had a wonderful time filled with memories that we will have forever. Its an affordable fair since kids 12 and under are free and everyone else is only $5 with $10 parking.

If you are looking for something FUN to do this Memorial Day Weekend I suggest the Sacramento County Fair.


*This is not a paid post. We were guest of the Sacramento County Fair.

Coming Soon to Sacramento! May 23-27 Sacramento County Fair

At my house we have a few annual events that we have to attend. Its just tradition to go and it would not be the same to not attend. One of those events is the Sacramento County Fair!!! We love the animals, the shows, the rides, the food and spending time together. 

Our top favorite thing to do at the fair is look at all the animals. My husband has family members that participated in the 4H programs as kids and we do have our "one day" plan to have a little farm with animals so I think its wonderful to have our son see the livestock and the junior handlers. We learn something new each year we attend. My son has been talking about sheep and piggies ever since I told him the fair was coming.

Making memories is what a County Fair is all about! Its hard to pick one day to go since each day is full of new attractions. I love that the price is only $5 for adults and kids 12 and under are FREE! Another SUPER Duper awesome part of the Sacramento County Fair is that it is a Smoke Free Fair, that means no smoking allowed inside the fair gates, gotta love a fair with just fair food in the air! :)

You can order tickets to the Sacramento County Fair here.

Getting to the Sacramento County Fair at Cal Expo
The physical address is 1600 Exposition Blvd, Sacramento, CA 95815. Vehicle entry through Gate D at Exposition Blvd and Challenge Way. Gate admission is located at the entrance to the Cal Expo Rodeo Arena.
[ CLICK HERE FOR DIRECTIONS & MAP ] 

Fair Prices & Hours
The 2013 Sacramento County Fair runs May 23 - 27 (Memorial Weekend)

Fair Theme
"Let's Eat, Have Fun & Celebrate the Red, White & Blue"

Featured Days

• Thursday, May 23	Opening Day-Celebrating Your Community-Invitational Mayor’s Goat Milking Contest
• Friday May 24	Value Day - Dollar Food Items, 4 to 9 pm & Demolition Derby
• Saturday, May 25	Stars & Stripes Bull Riding sponsored by Lasher's Elk Grove Dodge Chrysler Jeep Ram
• Sunday, May 26	Junior Livestock Auction, 10 am, Livestock Barn & Gran Jaripeo (Mexican Rodeo & Fiesta)
• Monday, May 27	Military Appreciation Day &Team Sorting

Fair Admission
Kids 0-12: FREE
Admission: $5.00

Parking
$10.00

Bike Parking
Limited bike parking is available near the Rodeo Gate Entrance.

The Sacramento County Fair is a Smoke Free Fair!
Please smoke before entering the Fair. A designated smoking section is located prior to entry.

Mommy Lounge - Bldg C 
A private place for nursing moms enjoying the Fair

Fair Hours
May 23 - 24, Thursday and Friday 10 am - 10 pm
May 25 - 26, Saturday and Sunday 10 am - 10 pm
May 27, Monday, US Army Memorial Day 10 am - 7 pm

Carnival Hours
May 23 - 24, Thursday and Friday 12 noon – 10 pm
May 25 - 26, Saturday and Sunday 11 am - 10 pm
May 27, Monday, Memorial Day 11 am - 7 pm

Building Hours
Building C: Local arts, crafts, demonstrations & Wild Science
Building D: The Shoppers Expo with extraordinary products & services, free drawing daily 

Thursday - Sunday
10 am - 10 pm
Monday, Memorial Day 10 am - 7 pm

Livestock Pavilion Hours
Thursday - Sunday 8 am - 8 pm
Junior Livestock Auction, Sunday 10 am - 6 pm
Monday, Memorial Day * 10 am - 5 pm
*Most animals leave the Fair early on Monday morning. To visit the most animals please plan to visit before Monday.

Carnival Rides
Midway of Fun provides 30 fun and thrilling carnival rides to make your County Fair experience memorable and magical! The Main Carnival features 20 exciting rides and our Kids' Carnival (especially for youngsters 3 - 7) has 10 rides especially for our littlest guests.

What is your favorite part about attending a County Fair? 

Do you plan to visit the Sacramento County Fair? 

*This is not a sponsored post. We will be attending the Sacramento County Fair as guest of the event.

Sacramento Kennel Club Dog Show 2013

Sunday morning we attended the Sacramento Kennel Club Dog Show. I was so glad we were able to make it on the last day. My son had so much fun last year I knew this year he would be delighted to go. We were watching Good Day Sacramento on tv with a morning cup of coffee and saw the preview of the Dog Show. My son was so happy and asked to go so we jumped in the car and drove down to Sacramento.

I am happy we went! My son adores dogs, he always asks people at parks if he can pet their dog. He gets the biggest smile on his face. Since we moved and had to find a new home for our dog ( you can red the story about that here) my son has asked about our dog a lot, he still calls her his dog and when he sees a black lab he yells her name. It breaks my heart! I knew he would love to see all the dogs at the show.

He was so excited for all the different dog breeds. He asked what kind they were and what their names were. He got many dog kisses lol which for him was awesome! He got to shake some paws, give a few high fives and petted so many dogs he could not stop smiling.

Last year his favorite dog was a Great Dane named Patrick. This year we met the sweetest, mellow dog I have ever met, Anya. She is an Anatolian dog that originates from Turkey. Anya's owners were just as sweet as she is! They let my son pet her, shake her hand, look in her mouth at all her teeth, mess with her paws, touch her tail and the dog even laid down to get belly rubs! My son did not want to leave the dog. The owners live and breed the dogs on Rare Breed Ranch in Northern CA. It was nice to meet breeders that were from Cali.

Anya the Anatolian dog. She is so mellow!! 

Another Dog from the Rare Breed Ranch, Boris 

He did a few crying fits since after all he is 3 1/2, he wanted to get in the ring with the dogs. He put his little hands on the gate to watch as close as he could without getting in there and a volunteer came over and told him dont touch the fencing and gave me a look. He loves dogs he cant help it! :)

My son took this picture. He wanted to pet them then take a pic lol

He cried again when he could not pet EVERY dog he saw. The poor kid would have stayed all day petting dogs if I let him. We were there a few hours and when we left he asked me pretty please can we go back. I am glad he had so much fun. I am hoping by next year he will have his own dog to go home to.

Taking more pictures of the dogs in the ring that he could not pet

* We were guests of the Sacramento Dog Show and received tickets to enter. This is a non paid post.