Knott’s Spooky Farm is back at Knott’s! This annual daytime, family-friendly Halloween celebration, takes place weekends through October 29 and Halloween Day. 
This kid-inspired “spooky” celebration will feature activities for ages 3-11 including trick-or-treating, a live show and costume contest with the Peanuts gang, and a Dia De Los Muertos Celebration.
Kids ages 3 -11 can participate in Trick-or-Treating throughout Ghost Town, and interact with an array of spooky but friendly Shopkeepers. New this year, Stanley Scarecrow has opened the Livery Stable for guests of all ages to get close and personal with the Creepy Critters of Calico.
The Grand Sierra Railroad in Camp Snoopy transforms to a one-of-a-kind experience which takes riders on an adventure, along with the Peanuts Gang, to Camp Spooky with added special Halloween theming effects.
Come to Camp Snoopy Theatre to show off your best Halloween costume at the Peanuts Costume Contest and afterwards, join Peanuts characters in a Peanuts Dance Party!. Additionally, families can watch the Peanuts Gang in The Monsters Are Coming, Charlie Brown, where they’ll have guests of all ages singing and dancing along to classic Halloween tunes.
This Halloween season, the Timber Mountain Log Ride mystically converts into the Halloween Hootenanny by adding a new family friendly twist to a park favorite. Every year the citizens of the Timber Mountain invite the mysterious creatures that live out in the woods and caverns of the area to join them as they celebrate the season at the Halloween Hootenanny. The ride’s interior will feature new fun surprises as guests venture past the Calico Coffin Creeper band, the town’s green witch and splash down Skull Mountain through a labyrinth of jack-o-lanterns. The seasonal ride will also feature an original song performed by Krazy Kirk and the Hillbillies. Open for day and night guests, this is the perfect family experience for all to enjoy this Halloween season.
In Fiesta Village, join the Dia de Los Muertos Celebration in the Fiesta Stage area for an interactive, non-scary, educational celebration of the season. The themed area offers a walk through village filled with photo ops, educational activities and face paintings at a nominal fee.
Then visit the Ghastly Gallery in the Boardwalk Ballroom for a slate of entertaining activities including a live show and opportunities for your little ghouls to participate in drawing their best “monsterpiece.”
A 2018 Season Pass is the best way to experience Knott’s Spooky Farm. With a 2018 Season Pass you will get to enjoy all of the Seasons of Fun next year but will also receive one free admission to use in 2017. You can get your Season Pass now at the Best Offer of the Year! A Regular Season Pass includes unlimited admission in 2018 to Knott’s Berry Farm with no blackout dates, and a Gold Season Pass includes unlimited admission in 2018 to both Knott’s Berry Farm and the newly expanded Knott’s Soak City Waterpark with no blackout dates. Regular passes are just $92 or nine easy payments of $10.22 and Gold Season Passes are $110 or nine payments of just $12.22. These offers end October 29, 2017. Applicable taxes and fees apply online. Payment plans are only available at knotts.com.
Knott’s Spooky Farm runs weekends September 30 – October 29 from 9:00am to 4:00pm, Halloween Day from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm, and is included with regular park admission. For more information on all the exciting things that are going on at Knott’s Berry Farm, visit knotts.com and follow the conversation using #KnottsSpookyFarm.
Month: September 2017
Brick-or-Treat Party Nights Return to LEGOLAND® California Resort Sept. 30
Awesome Awaits at the Park…after dark! Brick-or-Treat Party Nights at LEGOLAND® California Resort are back for more Halloween excitement! 
The entire Park is open for Party Nights Saturday September 30, and every Saturday in October. The home of Halloween fun is filled with…
- Live entertainment + new shows!
- Character Meet and Greets
- Costume Contests: Group, LEGO® Theme, Most Creative
- Treat stations with more than one million pieces of candy
- Heartlake City Fall Festival with Pumpkin Patch Build and craft time with the LEGO Friends
- The AstroBash Dance Party
- Brick-or-Treat Party Nights Pop Badge Challenge
Also, don’t miss candy,decorations and your fishy friends at SEA LIFE® Aquarium included with your Party Nights ticket.
Brick-or-Treat Party Nights is a special event and admission can be purchased for as low as $49 if purchased online in advance. New this year, guests can purchase a full 2nd day Resort Hopper ticket to enjoy LEGOLAND California, SEA LIFE aquarium and LEGOLAND® Water Park.
We’re really excited to share more about Brick-or-Treat nights when we attend later on in October. For more information about Brick-or-Treat Party Nights at LEGOLAND® California Resort or to purchase tickets, go here.
{Giveaway} Mickey Mouse: Merry & Scary on Disney DVD 9/26 + DIY Mickey Inspired Trick or Treat Buckets
Get ready to ride a tide of holiday hilarity when Mickey Mouse: Merry & Scary releases on Disney DVD September 26! These festive episodes of Disney’s Emmy® Award-Winning “Mickey Mouse” Cartoon Shorts will make you laugh yourself silly whether you’re trimming the tree or carving a pumpkin!
This DVD includes Includes two 22-minute holiday themed episodes, The Scariest Story Ever: A Mickey Mouse Halloween Spooktacular and Duck The Halls: A Mickey Mouse Christmas Special. There are five 3-minute bonus shorts included on the DVD also:
- Ghoul Friend
- The Boiler Room
- Black & White
- Entombed
- Split Decision
The Scariest Story Ever: A Mickey Mouse Halloween Spooktacular! – For Halloween, Mickey has tricked out his house like a “tomb, sweet, tomb” and along with his pals Donald and Goofy, plans to tell hair-raising Halloween stories! However, his attempt at being scary falls flatter than a pancake. Can Mickey conjure up a truly terrifying tale before the stroke of midnight?
Duck The Halls: A Mickey Mouse Christmas Special – It’s the most wonderful time of the year…to migrate south for the winter! But Donald wants to stay put and celebrate his first Christmas with his friends. Mickey creates the ultimate list of everything to make Donald’s first Christmas great, but before you can catch a snowflake on your tongue, Donald has turned into a shivering, sneezing duck-cicle!
The voice cast includes Chris Diamantopoulus as Mickey Mouse/Vampire; Russi Taylor as Minnie/Huey/Dewey/Louie/The Witch; Bill Farmer as Goofy; Tony Anselmo as Donald Duck; Tress MacNeille as Daisy Duck; and Corey Burton as Professor Von Drake. The Executive Producer is Paul Rudish.
To get into the spirit of the Halloween season, my daughter and I decided to make a couple of Mickey-inspired trick-or-treat buckets. I love simple DIYs, especially when they involve Mickey Mouse! I wanted to share ours with you because they were so simple to make and can be easily recreated.
Here’s what you’ll need to make your own Mickey-inspired Trick-or-Treat Buckets:
- Bucket or pail, 1 per person
- White foam pieces
- 1/2′ wide ribbon, Halloween colors
- Trim of your choie
- Tulle, Halloween colors
- A black permanent marker
- Glue gun and refills
- Scissors
Instructions:
- Grab an inspirational image of Mickey’s glove from the Internet.
- Use pencil to draw onto the white foam. Make one for each bucket or pail.
- Cut out shape carefully.
- Use the black permanent marker to draw accents and outline the glove.
- Stick Mickey’s glove onto the front of the bucket using the hot glue gun.
- Cute a few pieces of tool and ribbon and tie onto each side of the bucket, where the handles are and trim edges.
- Finally, glue a fun trim around the rim of the bucket
How cute did our buckets turn out? My daughter did the majority of the work. She’s my resident artist and I’m really excited to use them when we attend Mickey’s Halloween Party at Disneyland Resort. Meanwhile, I’m using them in my classroom to hold rewards for my students. Boy, do they pay attention when I pick one of the buckets up!
I’m also having a giveaway for one (1) of my lucky readers to win their very own copy of Mickey Mouse: Merry & Scary! To enter, leave a comment below and tell me if you about one of your special Halloween traditions. I will accept comments for this giveaway until 11:59 p.m. on October 2. I will choose a winner on October 3 via Random Number Generator and notify the winner. Giveaway is open to U.S. Residents of the Continental U.S., ages 18 and older. Prize has no cash value.
Don’t forget, you can bring home the laughs and grab Mickey Mouse: Merry & Scary! on Disney DVD September 26th!
Farmer Boys Now Open in Laguna Hills + Support Their Fundraiser for National Hunger Month
Farmer Boys®, the popular fast casual concept which has built a reputation on their farm fresh cooked-to-order menu, comfortable restaurant atmosphere, and friendly staff opened a brand-new location in Laguna Hills. We were invited to dine in as part of a special media event and it was yummy. I even got to have BRINNER, which is breakfast for dinner! 
Farmer Boys serves award-winning burgers, made-from-scratch breakfast all day, hand-chopped salads and specialty sandwiches. With 90 locations in California and Nevada, Farmer Boys is committed to using locally sourced products whenever possible.
What I love about the Laguna Hills location is that it’s conveniently located right off the 5 Freeway which means I can stop by on my way to or from work to grab delicious food. Whether it’s breakfast (which is served all day), lunch, or dinner, all of the food is prepared fresh to order. 
AND there’s a drive thru! There aren’t many (or actually any) places you can drive thru that offer healthy menu items. like they do, to grab and go!
Farmer Boys is also launching a fundraiser in conjunction with National Hunger Month to support Feeding America and local food banks. The fundraiser, which begins Monday, September 4 and runs through Monday, October 9 will encourage guests to make a donation of $2 or $5 at the restaurant, and in exchange they’ll receive that discount when they return on a future visit and present their receipt.
The fundraiser will be hosted at Farmer Boys locations in Orange, Los Angeles, San Diego, Clark, Kern, Imperial, Kings, San Joaquin, Tulare, and Stanislaus Counties and will benefit Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County, Los Angeles Regional Food Bank, Feeding San Diego, Three Square, Find Food Bank, and Community Food Bank. To find the nearest Farmer Boys location click here.
The new Farmer Boys location in Laguna Hills is located at
23952 Avenida de la Carlota
Laguna Hills, Ca.
This location features a drive-thru and offers dine-in, take-out, and phone order service.
Hours are as follows:
- 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday – Thursday
- 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday
- 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Sunday.
Don’t forget to connect with Farmer Boys on Facebook for the latest happenings!
{Giveaway} My Little Pony: The Movie in Theaters October 6 + Enter to Win a Prize Pack
I know a lot of people, including myself, who are excited about the upcoming release of My Little Pony: The Movie in theaters on October 6! When my daughter was little, I think I bought her every single My Little Pony item I could find! I have saved them all in our garage for her kids!
Here’s a synopsis of the film:
A new dark force threatens Ponyville, and the Mane 6 – Twilight Sparkle, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, and Rarity – embark on an unforgettable journey beyond Equestria where they meet new friends and exciting challenges on a quest to use the magic of friendship to save their home.
Have you watched the Official Trailer yet for My Little Pony: The Movie?
I can’t wait to see it! I think my favorite My Little Pony character is Rainbow Dash. I’m obsessed with anything that has rainbows.
In celebration of this fun, upcoming release, I’m hosting a giveaway for one(1) of my lucky readers to win a My Little Pony: The Movie Prize Pack, which includes an activity book, a compact comb/mirror, temporary tattoos, ROE pass to see the film (good for 2), and a bag with a surprise pony inside! To enter my giveaway, just leave a comment telling me who your favorite pony is from My Little Pony! I will close the comments to enter at 12:00 a.m. on October 2. Giveaway is open to U.S. Residents who are 18 and older only, who reside in the Continental U.S.. Prize will be mailed to winner and has no cash value. Good luck everyone! Thanks for reading! 
My Little Pony: The Movie will be in theaters nationwide on October 6.Check out the official website for the movie here and join in on the conversation by following the hashtag #MyLittlePonyMovie. Don’t forget to follow My Little Pony: The Movie on Facebook,Twitter, and Instagram too.
Tickets Now on Sale for The Queen Mary’s Dark Harbor Opens September 28
A new voracious resident spirit has risen from the depths of the Queen Mary’s Dark Harbor, Southern California’s most authentically terrifying haunt, opening September 28.
Chef and his long-forgotten legend have resurfaced and will be brought to life through FEAST, the new horrific maze onboard the ship venturing into previously unrevealed areas of the Queen Mary’s Dark Harbor. Chef and his carnivorous kitchen staff have resumed their deadly duties, collecting new victims for Chef’s latest recipes. All who dare will swelter with fear as they crawl their way out of Chef’s scorching oven to reach their final destination…Are YOU ready to be served?
The Story Behind FEAST
For the first time in Dark Harbor history, FEAST will be the 4th maze onboard the legendary vessel. FEAST tells the tale of Chef, a legendary spirit of the historic R.M.S. Queen Mary. As the tale goes, During WWII when the Queen Mary was in service as a troop transport ship, an enlisted military man serving in the ship’s kitchen quickly moved up the ranks to become a highly-decorated Chef. Unbeknownst to the soldiers traveling aboard, Chef had a dark side. Quietly he would sedate soldiers in the middle of the night to prepare them as ingredients for his latest dishes. Eventually caught, the Chef was thrown into one of his own ovens and cooked alive. Loyal to their leader Chef’s dutiful kitchen staff sacrificed their lives to become his evil henchmen, burning themselves in the same oven. The spirits of Chef and his evil crew went into hiding aboard the ship for many years. Now, these long-time stowaways have resurfaced to resume their deadly duties of collecting and preparing victims for Chef’s latest concoctions.
Try Out the All-New Ice Bar Experience: The Meat Locker
Enter the frozen depths of Chef’s Meat Locker where he keeps his latest victims on ice. This one-of-a-kind ice bar experience will take you into a 7-degree environment for up to 20-minutes! Choose from a curated selection of flavored vodkas to create your custom tasting flight, but keep one eye open for Chef to make sure you don’t end up in his next recipe. (Up to 20 Guests per Session).
FEAST and Chef will make their horrific debut as Dark Harbor returns to the Queen Mary on September 28. Southern California’s most haunted Halloween event will welcome MORE monsters, MORE nights, and MORE mazes than ever before. Offering the most authentically frightening experience available, Dark Harbor tells the truly haunted, historic tales of the Queen Mary. The infamous spirits of Chef, Iron Master, Captain, Samuel the Savage, Graceful Gale, Half-Hatch Henry, Scary Mary, Voodoo Priestess, Ringmaster, plus hundreds of their bloodcurdling henchmen await to tempt your fate.
Live your nightmares aboard the Queen Mary with these newly intensified, darker than imaginable, and evermore twisted mazes:
- Soulmate
- B340
- Mazes Circus
- Intrepid
- Deadrise
- Lullaby .
With 7 mazes and 13 bars, fire shows, aerialists, sliders, Michael Jackson’s Neverland Ranch’s Sinister Swings, monster DJs, Voodoo House Bar & Tasting Room, R.I.P. Lounge, and much more, Dark Harbor is a freakishly fun time.
The annual haunt opens its gates on September 28 and continues to scare those who dare on select nights through November 1. General admission ticket prices start at just $20 online, with Fast Fright, VIP Passes, Creepy Cabanas and lodging packages available. For more information or to purchase tickets online, visit http://www.queenmary.com/dark-harbor.
Parking for The Queen Mary
Queen Mary General Parking is $30. Arrive early if you want to park onsite. The Queen Mary parking lots SELL OUT EARLY NIGHTLY. Allow at least 30 minutes to park and arrive to the gate. Pre-Paid Parking is $20 Online. Offsite parking is $15 (CASH ONLY) and is available Thursday – Sunday after 8PM. Off site lots are just across the water in Downtown Long Beach at the Long Beach Courthouse, 101 Magnolia Ave, Long Beach. Shuttle service will be provided during Dark Harbor, begin departing at 8PM. The last shuttle departs Dark Harbor one hour after closing.
The Queen Mary is located at:
1126 Queens Highway in the Port of Long Beach
For more information, call (800) 437-2934.
I’m Doing It! I’m Making Time to Work Out at Curves®!
It’s been a while since I’ve had a regular workout routine of any kind. I mean a LONG while. Life gets overwhelming. I teach school full time, I am a hands-on mom who tries to cater to every need of my 12 year-old, and I blog. It feels liek there’s no time in the day left to fit a workout in too. Well, up until recently.
I was so lucky to be invited to work out at my local Curves® location. Curves® is a one-stop-shop for every woman’s fitness needs. When you’re enrolled in Curves’ Fitness® Program you’re able to participate in a 30 minute, total-body workout on strength training machines. The circuit classes are designed to burn fat, increase strength, and kick start weight loss. It’s exactly what I needed to do for me.
This month, Curves is turning 25 this month and celebrating all month long with special offerings and happenings during the month of September. They’re even giving away a free annual membership for the first 25 new members at each location. 
During my first visit to the Curves near my home, I did the registration prior to my workout First, I was given a tour to familiarize myself with the facility (where to get water and towels, where to change and use the restroom, where to leave my stuff while I work out.)
I also got to meet with an instructor, on a one-on-one basis. She measured my height and took my weight and my measurements. Through an analysis, she determined where I am on the scale of health and also worked with me to set some personal goals and expectations for my working out this month at Curves.
So…I completed my first workout! I felt so accomplished, too! My experience at Curves really felt like the opposite of intimidating. (and it was only first workout) It was the friendliest place I could have joined to begin a regular workout schedule again. During my training, I also watched as every woman who walked through the door was greeted not only by the instructors but by the others working out there. It’s such a great community to be a part of and I’m super excited for what’s to come in my workouts.
Curves® can really help any woman on their journey to get stronger and feel empowered No Makeup, No Men, No Mirrors. It’s just a supportive group of women who are there to meet their own, personal fitness goals and whatever those may entail. Stay tuned for more of my fitness journey at Curves.
I’ll be working out over the next few weeks and sharing with you more all of it. Have you visited a Curves® before? If not, you should do it, especially during their birthday month! To find the nearest Curves location, go here.
Connect with Curves on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
{Giveaway} “Odysseo” by Cavalia to Premiere in Ventura County Starting November 11 + Enter to Win
After stunning one million California spectators in Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Jose, San Diego and Orange County with its original show Cavalia and its second theatrical adventure Odysseo, the internationally acclaimed entertainment company Cavalia Inc. is thrilled to announce the first visit of Odysseo to Ventura County. The world’s largest touring production will be presented under its signature White Big Top in Camarillo, 
Performances will start Saturday, November 11, and Odysseo will call Ventura County home through Thanksgiving with matinee and evening shows scheduled until November 26 and will be at Under the White Big Top in Ventura County * US 101 at Santa Rosa Rd (Exit 52) at 5230 Camino Ruiz, Camarillo, CA 93012. Tickets for matinee and evening performances of Odysseo in Ventura County are now on sale and can be purchased online. Please see below for ticket purchase info, discount code, and also to enter my ticket givwaway! 
The $30 million equestrian and acrobatic extravaganza expands the definition of performance into an epic, yet soulful theatrical experience. A show unlike any other on the planet, this awe-inspiring production features 65 magnificent horses and 50 talented riders, acrobats, aerialists, dancers and musicians. Odysseo is the masterpiece of Normand Latourelle, creator of Cavalia Inc. and renowned for combining different forms of artistic expression and reinventing the scenic space.
Here’s a synopsis of this beautiful production:
Odysseo is a heart racing live performance, filled with mesmerizing visuals and live music. Through the magic of digital projection, audiences of all ages will be transported on an epic journey to some of nature’s greatest wonders including the Mongolian steppes to Monument Valley, the African savannah to Nordic glaciers, and from the Sahara Desert to Easter Island. Odysseo’s mindboggling theatrical effects are as spectacular as they are numerous: a state-of-the-art video screen three times the size of the world’s largest cinema screens; a three-story mountain for dazzling perspectives; décor both intricate and grandiose that seems to pull the audience onto the gigantic stage, and a real lake made of 40,000 gallons of recycled water which magically appears for a splashing finale. In sum, the show creates places no one has ever seen before – places where one can feel the deep connection between horse and man.
Odysseo’s horses play in complicity and with freedom, in a respectful relationship with their human counterparts, creating a moving artistic and emotive partnership. A liberty number, in which purebred Arabian horses are directed only by the soft murmurs of their trainer, and a fabulous caravan act that comprises people and horses too numerous to count, are amongst the breathtaking scenes that will leave every spectator captivated and touched.
Buy tickets now and enjoy“PRESALE” prices! For a limited time only, up to a 15% discount is applied automatically for online and phone transactions for ticket purchases. Presale ticket prices range from $29.50 to $119.50 + applicable fees. For a memorable outing, The Rendez-Vous Package offers the best seats in the house, a full meal buffet dining before the show, open bar, desserts during intermission and an exclusive visit to the stables after the show. This unique VIP experience takes place in a tent alongside the White Big Top. The presale RendezVous package prices range from $129.50 to $234.50 + applicable fees. Special pricing and packages are also available for groups of 12 spectators and more. Tickets for Odysseo are available at http://www.cavalia.com or by calling 1.866.999.8111.
I’m also hosting a giveaway for one of my lucky readers to win a family 4-pack of tickets to see Odysseo on November 11 at 2 p.m.Under the White Big Top in Ventura County. Winner must be able to attend and pick up tickets at Will Call prior to the performance on November 11. No substitutions will be available. To enter, complete the Rafflecopter below. Good luck everyone! Thanks for reading!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
The Cigna Run Together Blogger Event for the Disneyland® Half Marathon Weekend
A couple of weeks ago, you may have noticed a million tweets and Instagram posts being shared from Disneyland Resort showing all of the excitement during the 2017 Disneyland® Half Marathon Weekend. This RunDisney event is held annually and Cigna was the presenting sponsor of the weekend.
Cigna provided some useful fitness and nutrition tips to participants in the weeks leading up to the marathon weekend. Whether a runner, walker, or cyclist, participants can utilize these tips as a way to help accomplish their race goals.
For me, someone who hasn’t had a lot of race training, I really appreciated some of the tips and insight I found on their Facebook page and the way they tied in with Cigna’s “Go. Know. Take Control”., a campaign which reminds people how important it is get an annual check-up, know your vital numbers, and take control of your health for good.
The Cigna Blogger Meet-Up was held at Disney’s Grand California and began with a healthy lunch and a whole lot of photo taking. (because that’s what bloggers do.) 
We were placed into character teams, (I got to be on Team Donald), to collaborate a little bit before we were released into Disney’s California Adventure Park to compete in the “Cigna Great Race”!
Despite the fact that it was 99 degrees that day plus it was humid, our team really rallied through Disney’s California Adventure Park like a bunch of champs!
As we continued to check off challenges and intersections, I really felt the support from my “Team Donald” teammates. Whether it was completing a challenge where we had to collaborate with another team in the race or just completing tasks and intersections within our own group, I always felt encouraged by the others. 
The RunDisney community seems to be comprised of people who unconditionally support each other. It’s a great group to be hanging around with. 
Although I wasn’t running the Disneyland Half Marathon that weekend, I admired those who did complete it, especially in the (almost) unbearable weather condition which didn’t let up through the weekend.
Team Donald didn’t “win” the Cigna Great Race, but I still came out feeling a sense of accomplishment and made some new friends along the way.After we were done, we headed back at The Grand for some afternoon treats while they tallied up who the winners would be. We also had a couple of surprise guests appear in the event room!
Mickey and Minnie were wearing their best race outfits and were ready for photos with everyone! I even got to take my very own photo with them. How magical is that? The Cigna Blogger Meetup was so much fun and I feel lucky to have been invited!
I have to pinch myself to make sure this is all real & am so grateful for opportunities like this! ✨?✨AD #CignaRunTogether (PC: @Cigna) pic.twitter.com/jru7Mq4ULi
— ✨Wendy✨ (@OverthetopMommy) September 2, 2017
I can’t wait to see what’s in store for the RunDisney Walt Disney World® Half Marathon, January 3-7, 2018, which is also presented by Cigna. Will you be participating in that one? I’ll be there! For more information about Cigna’s Go. Know. Take Control. campaign, go here.