Our First Trip To The Sacramento Zoo

I was given complimentary admission to the Sacramento Zoo facilitate this post. However, all opinions are 100%  my own and not influenced by the company.

She loves maps.


Not even five years old, and anything having to do with a map, "Big Sister H, is sold.


When we arrived for our very first trip to the Sacramento Zoo, she made a beeline for the map display and proceeded to plan our our entire journey - bathroom stops and all!

Now, the real reason we decided to come to the Sacramento Zoo, is that "Baby O" (pictured above) - requested a trip to the Zoo for her 3rd birthday celebration.


With Gamma and G-Pa coming for a visit from out of town, we figured it was the right time to make our first trip to the zoo!

"Big Sister H." got a little off track when she saw this photo board and made it her own.

I'm not sayin' she's classy. She's a nut.

Rawwwwrrrrr!

 
Giraffes were a big hit for our family.


They are so seriously strange and beautiful, with those long necks and purple tongues - it's like they're from another planet altogether.

Ha, Ha.


G-Pa played a trick on the girls and convinced them that there was a bobcat on display.


Well, it was a bobcat. But not the normal kind you'd see at the zoo.


Onward, we go!

No trip to the zoo is complete without a visit to those amazing striped beasts, the ZEBRA!


The girls were fascinated to see these calm zig-zagged creatures calmly eating their hay and showing off their cool coats.






There was a very cool safari tent near the aardvark enclosure that had some cool dress up gear for the girls and some much needed shade.


There was a case with little drawers and labeled specimens, which the girls used, pretending to be a safari expert explaining their collections to anyone who would listen.

Ha.

   

The Train ride was fun for all of us, big and small alike. 

A nice little break from walking and spying on animals - which gives you an overview of where certain animals are located and little fun facts you otherwise might not have known.

We were nicely surprised by an Education Station we found by the Tiger enclosure.


There were two very helpful and eager-to-educate docents that had casts of tiger skulls and a display of how strong a tiger's jaw/teeth are (ie. steel bowl full of holes from a tiger playing with it).


The girls being 3 and 4 were actually quite entertained by the stories and information these lovely men provided us with. You could tell they were passionate about animals and the Sacramento Zoo, which was great to see.

We were fortunate to capture this sweet shot of a lion cub who seemed very curious and willing for us to take his photo. Can't wait to go back and see how he's grown!

Final stop, the Conservation Carousel at the Sacramento Zoo. What a beautiful carousel, with 32 gorgeous carved wooden animals to choose from!


I felt good knowing that the $2.50 per ride goes directly towards conservation awareness and educational programs. Plus, the girls loved picking out their favorite animals.

These really are some of the most beautiful carousel animals I've ever seen! 

So, for a fun, affordable family outing that you're sure to make special memories from - take your family on an adventure to the Sacramento Zoo! 

Making Holiday Memories With Preschoolers #HolidayMoments

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #HolidayMoments #CollectiveBias

Holidays with three small children is all about candy canes, wrapping presents, hot cocoa, ornaments, stockings...

Scratch that. Holidays with three small children is all about the short-cuts.

Now, I don't want to short-cut the kids out of making special holiday memories, but cutting a corner here and there never ruined a Christmas, right?

When the Christmas songs start playing on the radio, my girls automatically turn into little baking elves. 
 

"Let's Bake Cookies, mama!" 

I can blame it on their grandma, who is a recipe contest winning machine! She's taught them how to wield a rolling pin with excellent mastery - for preschool aged bakers, that is. 

While, their grandma may have the patience for measuring spoons and mixers, it's hard for me to coordinate three girls mixing in one bowl, so it's time for a shortcut.

 

 

 

Baking Cookies With A Preschooler - The Shortcut Edition

 

 

 Step 1. Stock up on cleaning supplies at Costco

 

It's no secret that during the holidays between visitors and baking projects, I have to take a shopping trip to Costco to stock up on toilet paper, paper towels, and of course cleaning products.

Having just moved into a new house with laminate/wood flooring, I'm a big fan of Swiffer products from P&G to keep my floors shiny.

The second reason I love Swiffer, is that my girls can join in the cleaning. Rather than pushing around a heavy vacuum, my girls enjoy taking turns with the Swiffer, learning how to clean up their own messes while having fun and practicing responsibility.   

Step 2. Buy a box of baking or cake mix!

 

Instead of measuring out flour, butter, sugar and hunting for multiple tiny spoons for spices - get to the baking and decorating faster by purchasing a baking mix.

If you can find a baking mix that only requires water, oil and an egg, you'll save yourself a lot of time and headache!

Preschoolers can measure water and crack an egg without making a huge mess, right?

Well, at least it will be less of a mess than they'd make with flour, salt, baking soda and cinnamon, yes? Yes! 

Step 3. Invite them to choose only 1-2 cookie cutters

Limiting the quantity of cookie cutters used, meant that my preschoolers had more repetition and were able to master the variables of those particular shapes. 

Rolling the appropriate thickness of dough, and using the spatula to transfer the cookie to a baking sheet takes coordination and changes with each shape used.

Choosing only their two favorite holiday shaped cookie cutters seemed to do the trick to boost their confidence as they practiced on only these shapes. 

Step 4. Be sure to have plenty of flour within reach

 

Any type of cookie dough you end up using will inevitably become sticky in those little preschooler fingers.

Having a little bowl of flour for the kiddos to dust the dough with will help limit meltdowns and frustration at dough sticking to the rolling pin, cutting board, spatula, etc. 

Step 5.  Take a deep breath and expect a mess

As long as you expect the worst, you'll be pleasantly surprised at anything short of disaster! 

Despite choosing a baking mix that didn't require a lot of measuring or dry messy ingredients - the above mess is what happens with preschoolers even if the flour is just for dusting the cutting board.

Just remember, you are creating memories that will last a lifetime. Flour on the floor can be cleaned up and your house returned to normal in a matter of minutes.

Let it be.

 Step 6. Use Swiffer Wet Mopping Refills to clean up

There are many options for cleaning up with Swiffer. Both wet and dry mopping pad refills are available at Costco, as well as the whole sweeper kit if you don't have one yet!

Easy peasy!

Step 7. Relax and enjoy the #HolidayMoments you've made

Can't remember what you need to prepare for holiday visitors? 

Check out this list of must-have P&G products available at Costco, you won't want to be left without: P&G Necessitities

Tell me.....

What do you think is a MUST-HAVE for baking with preschoolers during the holidays?

 

#Popples Appearing on #Netflix and Round Table Pizza

I was given samples of these products for review purposes and a gift card to enjoy pizza with my family as a thank-you. All opinions are 100% my own and may not reflect that of the company described. 

If your kids are NETFLIX junkies like mine are (yes, we also go to the library, park, ride bikes and enjoy being outdoors daily) then they've probably seen the new Popples series "POP" up on their screen recently. 

You might remember Popples yourself, if you were a kid in the 80's. I remember wanting one of those cute, cuddly little guys that can roll themselves up into balls myself!

I was sent some awesome Popples swag which I surprised my little girls with today, and they were fans of the funny little furry creatures that can be folded up into their own pouches, right away.

I made them close their eyes before they got their surprise...

See how excited they were! 

What's better is that once they were holding their new buddies "Bubbles" and "Yikes" I let them watch their first episode of Popples, which is now streaming on Netflix.
 

While the content of the show might have been just a little over their heads (3 and 4yrs old) they had a fun time trying to find and point out their plush characters "Bubbles" and "Yikes" on the screen!  

So, if you have young kiddos who are looking for some new fun characters to watch, find Popples on Netflix, and to double their fun - the Popples plush toys are coming to Walmart.com in mid-November and will be in stores in December (just in time for the holidays).

Also, Round Table Pizza is partnering with Popples and Netflix to host a Family Buffet Night every Tuesday in November from 5-8pm, where families can enjoy unlimited pizza, salad and breadsticks for an affordable price!

We're going tomorrow....with our new Popples buddies - especially "Yikes" (pictured above) since his favorite food is....pizza. Duh. 

Did I forget to mention you can join me? Well, figuratively anyway. Have fun entering my giveaway for a FREE VIP pass to Round Table Pizza in your town!

~ GIVEAWAY ~

Prize: Free Pizza - any size/type

• Giveaway ends 11/30/15
• Must be 18+ US/Resident

a Rafflecopter giveaway

First Week of Preschool Dannon® Danimals® #FuelTheirAdventures

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #FuelTheirAdventures #CollectiveBias 

It's finally here (sniff, sniff). 

She's off to school for the first time and we're trying to figure out who is going to have a harder time with it.

Yeah, I think we all already know the answer to that. 

The day before school started, we had lots of errands to run in preparation and were happy to have these cute little Dannon® Danimals® Smoothies with us as a great snack on-the-go! 

Come follow me today on our adventures before I fall in a sobbing heap on the floor school starts for my munchkin:

First Stop? Groceries!

We all piled out of the car at our local Walmart, for some organic fruit for snacking and Dannon® Danimals® Smoothies.  My girls were super excited to go on a mini"treasure hunt" to find these silly looking little characters, all dressed up in their sports gear in the Packaged Deli aisle. 

After checking out the package, I saw that Dannon is running a promotion called Fuel Up To Play 60 where if you find a "Golden Bongo" hidden in specially marked packages, your school wins a Field Day with NFL Pros, a $5k grant and more!  

Now, I'm not sure how much these NFL Pros would want to attend a "field day" with a bunch of my daughter's bumbling preschool classmates, but hey a golden ticket for anything is worth looking for!  

(if you must know...we didn't find a "Golden Bongo" boo-hoo. We'll have to try again!)

Next Stop? The Bakery! 

 

Okay, since I'm in a bit of a sentimental mood about "Big Sister H." going off to school, I let them strong-arm me into taking them to our local Panaderia Mana (Mexican bakery) where they picked out a pastry for breakfast.

I figured, since Dannon® Danimals® Strawberry Kiwi Smoothies are made with low-fat milk, don't contain any artificial flavors or colors and don't have that nasty high fructose corn syrup they'd be a good addition to our extra special breakfast treat!

Nom, nom, nom. 

Sorry, I just couldn't leave out this awesome shot of "Baby O." making her best Bongo impression - that's the Danimals mascot, if you hadn't figured out who "Bongo" is yet.

Okay, truth?  She wasn't trying to make any impression, that's just how dedicated she is to her craft of eating mexican pastries.  That's my girl! 

Third Stop? The Library

The girls love to read stories with daddy at night before bed, and with me during the day, and when they wake up, and when they sit on the potty, and.....okay.....you get it.  

So, we typically make at least one weekly trip to the library to stock up on all the best reading material.

Mostly, the girls just fight over who gets to pull open the book drop door and place the books inside, where they magically appear back on the shelves the next week. 

Next Stop? Story & Craft Time

Our trip to the library happened to run right into a preschool story and craft time in the Children's Library area - BONUS! 

The girls got to listen to a story about a misbehaving dog, sing some silly songs, throw some scarves around, socialize with other kiddos and do a cute doggy craft.

I don't think you're supposed to have snacks or drinks in the library, but they were getting hungry again.  Shhh, so I had them sit carefully and share a smoothie. I won't say whether or not I had the remaining one. Oh wait. I did.

Final Stop? Home

Now, if we're being honest, we did have one other stop before home.


Lunch.

But, really I don't think you want to see the mess my one-year old can make of rice and beans all over the entire mexican restaurant. Or, maybe you do. I'll just move on.

When we got home, as if the entire day of errands wasn't enough, the girls wanted to "make something with momma" - so I figured something simple and fun and quick - because it was naptime for "The Bookend".

Yeah, summer is over folks, but in this house popsicles live on throughout the year!

I let the girls pick their fruit - raspberries - and pour their smoothies into popsicle molds for a fun, fruity, refreshing treat that included some Vitamin D and Calcium. 

After a few hours in the freezer, the girls had a frozen treat that they totally loved. Plus, they always enjoy a treat even more when they made it themselves!

Can't get any easier than this, can it?

Thanks for joining me and the girls on our Dannon® Danimals® fueled adventures today! 

Looking for inspiration for your own kiddos on how Dannon® Danimals® can #FuelTheirAdventure?  Visit them here!

America's Farm-To-Fork Capital in Legends of Wine - Sept 17

Disclosure: This is not a sponsored post, however I may receive complimentary tickets to a future event hosted by this organization for review purposes. As always, all opinions are 100% my own and not influenced by the company stated. 

Some kind of alien structure?

The building blocks of new genetic code?

Expensive bubblewrap? 

No. That's a bunch of very happy people, staring into the bottom of their empty wine glasses from Sacramento's Farm-to-Fork Legends of Wine event last year.

Sound depressing? Not so, because Legends of Wine is back, and ready to make a believer out of you!

- Legends of Wine - 

Where?

• Set against the backdrop of the west steps of our beautiful California State Capitol.

When?

• Thursday, September 17th, 2015 from 6:00-8:30pm.

What?

• Enjoy a variety of award-winning wines from the local region, paired with some delicious artisan cheese and other homegrown bites!

Who?

• Two of Sacramento's internationally recognized culinary powerhouses, Darrell Corti and David Berkley have selected the varietals that will be offered for sampling. 

Will you join me?

 
Come celebrate with me at the 2015 Legends of Wine at America's Farm-To-Fork Capital - Sacramento, CA 

Get your tickets for Legends of Wine for $59 a person here! 

 

Free Emergency Contact Cards - Katrina 10yr Anniversary

This post is part of my commitment to be a good human in conjunction with Mom Bloggers For Social Good. I received no compensation for this post. Just a whole lot of feel good for spreading the word about an important issue like this.
 
Tomorrow will mark the 10 year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina.

Ten years ago, over 5,000 children were reported missing from their parents due to the disaster, and it took over 7 months to reunite the last of the children to their families.

One mother, affected by the disaster, who was separated from her toddler now is spreading the word - encouraging all families to have their children #getready and carry emergency contact cards in case of a disaster like this in the future.

Hear this mother's incredible journey here: 




Now, don't you think a simple thing like creating an emergency plan and contact cards are a small thing you can do with your family that could make a huge difference in being reunited?

If you are interested in getting started, click on the graphic below to create your own cards and preparedness plan.

It's so much easier to spend some time NOW to prepare for the unexpected, rather than wait until it's too late to take action.

Wouldn't you rather know that you've done all you can to help secure an emergency plan for your family, instead of leaving it up to luck and chance. 

I'm going to go create my emergency contact cards now. 

Won't you join me?

String Cheese FTW! Back To School Favorites #HorizonBTS

This post was sponsored by Horizon, however all opinions are 100% my own and not influenced by the company described.


 
Seriously?

She's getting this excited about string cheese?

No, this photo wasn't staged. I just got out my camera and got ready to snap when introducing my 4 year old to Horizon Organic Mozzarella String Cheese Sticks.

What a wackadoodle!

 
As the end of summer is coming near. Umm, very near. We're starting to get excited about my oldest daughter's first adventure into preschool.

I'm having a hard time thinking about her being away from us for a few hours a day, but it's a great opportunity for her to socialize and start figuring out what school is all about.

In preparation for her academic adventures, I've been trying to experiment with different snack foods that I know she'll eat while she's away at school, so my mind will be at ease that she's at the very least having some wholesome food while away from home. 

All three of my girls asked for more Horizon Organic Mozzarella Sticks today on the back patio, so I'm sure if I pack them for school, they'll be enjoyed.

Also, the Horizon Cheddar Snack Crackers were a hit with....err...me. Okay, my girls also liked them too, but I think they're my favorite evening snack now! 

To find more snacks that your kids might like from Horizon, check out:  Horizon Snacks here!

Yes, we've been practicing spelling and the alphabet to help "Big Sister H." feel confident entering preschool - so figured HORIZON was a good word to start with.

She had fun finding all the letters from our set of wooden blocks and helped me put together some of her favorite words while munching on some of her new favorite snacks for school! 

Horizon has lots of snacks and treats that are sure to be a hit with your back-to-school kiddos like, chocolate milk, fruit snacks with DHA, and good ol' mac n cheese! 

So, if you want to stay in the loop on new and tasty snacks for your kids (and you):

Check out Horizon Brand on:

• Horizon on Twitter
• Horizon on Facebook
• Horizon on Pinterest 
• Horizon on Instagram

What are some of your household's favorite Back To School snacks?


This conversation is sponsored by Horizon. The opinions and text are all mine.