Over The Top Mommy

Month: October 2016

Islands Restaurant Now Open at The Shops at Mission Viejo + Giftcard Giveaway

Our family loves to dine at Islands Restaurant and when we heard a new location was now open at The Shops at Mission Viejo, we were excited because it’s literally a hop, skip, and a jump away from where we live! islands-at-the-shops-at-mission-viejo-now-openThe newly opened location is beautiful and is the 11th location in Orange County! In addition to indoor seating and a full 600 square foot bar area, the location also features an outdoor, open air, wrap-around patio for outdoor dining. Amongst the surf-inspired décor, you have a grand view of the 14 huge wall-mounted TVs, from wherever you are seated and will feel like you’re on the beaches of Hawaii as surf videos play on some of the screens. Sports fans won’t miss a play during their favorite games as they dine, with some of the other screens showing “the game” when it’s on.islands-mai-tai-1Islands offers an extensive menu with a full bar so I decided to have a fun drink to start off with. I ordered The Islands Mai Tai. Made with a marriage of two exotic rums, tropical fruit & essence of the islands, this is literally “Paradise in a Glass”! Have you checked out Islands NFL Happy Hour yet? Right now, football fans can enjoy extended happy hour from 4 p.m. to close in the bar area, and all day happy hour on Sundays. All items on the happy hour menu are under $10, including think loaded nachos, sliders, wings, featured IPAs and mai tais. Islands Restaurants will be playing NFL Redzone and NFL Sunday Ticket.

Our favorite appetizer to start with at Islands is the Spinach and Artichoke Dip. Served with fresh chips, this dip is made with chopped spinach & artichoke hearts mixed with sautéed onion & garlic in a creamy alfredo sauce and is delivered to your table piping hot and is enough for your entire family.islands-restaurant-spinach-and-artichoke-dipKids dining at Islands have quite a few choices on the “Gremmie” menu. I appreciate that they can choose from applesauce, carrots and ranch, carrots, or fries. Kids like to be able to make choices on what they’re going to eat.islands-kids-menuI tend to be a creature of habit when I visit and usually end up ordering the Chicken Club Wrap which has grilled & chilled sliced chicken breast, Applewood smoked bacon, avocado, cheddar, jack, lettuce, tomato, ranch dressing & bbq sauce and is served in a flour tortilla. It’s so delicious that it’s difficult for me to want to order anything else. Mmm, BBQ sauce! I didn’t realize they had sweet potato fries on the menu so I had to try them and they were yummy!islands-restaurants-bbq-kitchen-wrapBacon lovers dining at Islands will be happy to know Islands includes a BLT on the menu called “The Wedge“. It’s made with Applewood Bacon, cheddar, jack, lettuce, tomato & mayo, served on an Islands white or whole wheat bun. It’s also served with Fresh Cut Island Fries. Yum!islands-restaurant-the-wedge-bltAlthough we were pretty full at this point, there’s no denying dessert at Islands. It’s hard to choose between Kona Pie and the Fudge Brownie, so we splurged and ordered one of each. islands-restaurants-kona-pieIslands’ Kona Pie is made with Mocha Almond Fudge, ice cream & cookie crust topped with chocolate fudge, whipped cream, roasted nuts, and a cherry. Their Fudge Brownie is made with a rich fudge brownie served warm and topped with vanilla ice cream. islands-restaurant-fudge-brownieThey’re both perfect for sharing. Have you had either? Oh goodness, they’re both delicious and I had to stop myself from finishing them all by mysefl!Giveaway-time

You can also enter to win a $25 Islands Restaurants giftcard. Enter below on the Rafflecopter. Good luck everyone!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Connect with Islands Restaurant on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

 

This is not a sponsored post. We were invited to dine at Islands Restaurants in order to facilitate this post. All opinions are 100% my own.

 

 

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Secrets of the Sewer Exhibit at Discovery Cube Orange County

Have you been to the Discovery Cube Orange County lately? They just opened a brand new exhibit, which is actually the first-ever museum exhibit featuring Nickelodeon’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles!tmnt-characteresNow through January 16, when you visit the Discovery Cube, these four heroic ninjas-in-training will show you how to leap to the rescue and learn teamwork, collaboration, and problem-solving as you work your way through puzzles, mazes and obstacles. Guests can explore the turtles’ sewer-like lair, where good guys win and bad guys lose!tmnt3Since 1984, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles have rocked it with their talent and teamwork, inspiring and teaching generations of fans that being part of team lets us discover and exercise our own hidden strengths and those of our teammates. Together we can achieve more than we can on our own. tmnt6 Now you can join the pizza-eating, crime-fighting “Heroes in a Half Shell” to hone your own ninja skills and problem solving intellect while learning the secrets of the sewer!tmnt5The exhibit includes:

The Dojo and Splinter’s Room
In order to create a seamless ninja fighting team, Master Splinter has devoted many hours to training the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. In the Dojo, Splinter and Raphael show visitors the value of hard work, practice and knowing your enemy.tmnt-climbingThe Common Room
Families are encouraged to explore the Turtles’ Lair, discover facts about these teenage crime-fighters and hone their individual skills.tmnt-which-turtle-are-youDonatello’s Workshop and Lab
Donnie is the inventor of the group; his lab is the place to try your hand at creative problem solving, as well as learning from mistakes. tmnt1tmnt4New York City Streets
Put your skills and training to the test in the streets of NYC. Try working together to stop the villain Shredder and his foot clan! tmnt-in-the-alleyFor more information about the Discovery Cube Orange County, go here. Connect with Discovery Cube OC on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

 

This is not a sponsored post. We were invited to attend a media preview in order to write this post. Some images are property of the Discovery Cube. All opinions are 100% my own.