Travel Tips and Tricks: Navigating the San Diego Zoo With Young Kids!

I grew up going to the San Diego Zoo, and believe me when I say it is a completely amazing zoo! Here's my guide for taking young kids to this zoo and maximizing your time there!

*The first thing you'll see when you enter the Zoo's gates. . . the flamingos!

~1~ If you live in the San Diego area and plan to visit the zoo at least once, it's totally worth it to buy the annual membership. The Koala Kid's Club is especially cute (kids get a newsletter every month in the mail full of zoo news and fun pictures) and very affordable.
If you don't live in the area and are planning to visit the Zoo, scout around for the best ticket prices. We bought the Southern California City Pass, which was the very best deal for Sea World, Universal Studios, 3-day Disney Hopper passes, and the San Diego Zoo or Wild Animal Park.

~2~ YES, the San Diego Zoo is better than the Wild Animal Park. If you're only going to see one, definitely pick the Zoo. There is a lot more variety and a LOT more to see.

~3~ My favorite days to visit the San Diego Zoo are slightly overcast or cool days, because the animals tend to be more active. If you go on a very hot summer day, the animals will all be asleep or lazing around in the shade. It's usually pretty pleasant in the Zoo because of nice ocean breezes and lots of shade trees, but I still like cooler days best.

~4~ Absolutely bring a stroller or rent one! The Zoo is HUGE and there are tons of hills and you will get incredibly tired from all the walking you'll be doing. Even if your child normally walks, they will be exhausted without being able to ride in the stroller when they want to. It's also great to have the stroller basket for storing your bags, snacks, drinks, and whatever else you choose to bring with you. Since they don't rent out strollers for adults to ride in (darn!), just wear comfortable shoes and be prepared for LOTS of walking and lots of steep hills.

~5~ One of the great things about the Zoo is that ALL ages can enjoy it. Of course very young babies aren't going to care, but young toddlers who have a hard time sitting through shows at Sea World or lines at Disneyland will love seeing the animals at the Zoo.

~6~ Do NOT miss the Children's Zoo! It's adorable! I had actually never been to it until a couple of years ago, and it's really enjoyable for both kids and adults. They actually have animals in the Children's Zoo that you can't see anywhere else in the Zoo, like a Fossa (yes, like on Madagascar. I had never seen a Fossa before, and it was really cool!) It's a section of the Zoo very close to the entrance, and there are lots of animal exhibits featuring:
*Pygmy marmosets (the tiniest, cutest monkeys EVER!)
*Really noisy macaws
*Spider monkeys
*Naked mole-rats (ugly and fascinating!)
*Meerkats

*Don't miss the cute photo opps in the Children's Zoo, like this one!

*River otters in the Children's Zoo were SO frisky and fun to watch!

*There's a petting area inside the Children's Zoo where kids can pet the goats!

*If your kids have even more energy to burn after all the walking, the Children's Zoo even has a really great playground!

~7~ My very favorite thing to do at the Zoo is to ride the Double-Decker Guided Bus Tour! It's a great way to start your day at the Zoo, because it's 35 minutes long and covers about 70 percent of the Zoo, so you can get an idea for the layout and pick out animals that you want to return to spend more time seeing. It saves you a TON of walking and gets really great views of a lot of the animals, plus the guides have all kinds of interesting facts about the Zoo and the animals. The bus tour is included with most admission passes to the Zoo.

*For the very best views, of course, sit on the top level of the double-decker bus. I took this shot of the giraffes from the bus!

~8~ The map of the Zoo can be overwhelming, because it's SO large and includes so many animals. It's impossible to see it all in one day, so make a list beforehand of all the animals you and your kids REALLY want to see. You'll be able to see many other animals, but if you have a list of the animals you can't possibly miss, it will be easier to plan your routes around the Zoo accordingly, since there are many different options.

~9~ Really don't waste your money on the Zoo's meals. Overpriced and not yummy. I like to pack a lunch and snacks with us, and then plan on eating somewhere really delicious in San Diego for dinner after leaving the Zoo, like my very favorite Mexican food in Old Town!

~10~ You'll have to miss some animals, but don't miss the pandas! One of my favorite exhibits is definitely the pandas eating their bamboo (constantly!), and the pandas are one of the reasons the San Diego Zoo is world famous.

~11~ My kids absolutely love riding the Skyfari Aerial Tram. And it is pretty amazing! You get to ride up in the sky with gorgeous views of the entire San Diego Zoo and neighboring Balboa Park, and it's included with your Zoo admission! Plus it's a great way to save yourself walking up the steepest hills in the park. If you ride the Skyfari from the bottom (near the Zoo's entrance) to the very top, it lets you off at the Polar Bear Plunge, which is pretty much at the very top of the Zoo. I love to ride it up there, go see the polar bears, and then walk back down through various exhibits. When you walk down the super steep hills you'll be glad you didn't have to walk UP them to get to the polar bears!

~12~ Take a fully loaded camera with you, and snap away to your heart's content!

~13~ Don't miss all the FUN photo opps they have at Polar Bear Plunge. We always get some of my favorite photos of the entire day by the polar bears!

(This one was new. . . SO cute!)

~14~ Elephant Odyssey is a really great exhibit. Besides elephants, they also feature the lions and jaguars and really cool playgrounds and statues!

~15~ The gorillas are always fascinating. The huge glass viewing windows make it really easy to watch them!

~16~ Zoo parking is actually free! This is really nice in a town where parking is pretty much never free.

~17~ San Diego often has beautiful sunsets as you're leaving the Zoo, just like this one!

Please share your favorite San Diego Zoo tips with me by leaving a comment!

Tips From a Semi-Clean House

{Thanks to the makers of Pine-Sol® for sponsoring my writing. Share your "scent story" here for the chance to win a trip to a Scentsational Destination sponsored by Pine-Sol®. One grand prize winner will receive a choice of four amazing trips. To learn more about the Scent Away Sweeptakes, visit here.}

I love having a clean house. I just really don't like cleaning. That's the honest truth of it all! So I would say my house is semi-clean. I don't let dirty dishes pile up in the sink, I like to keep my counters clean, I clean up toy messes and spills and various other kid messes more times a day than I can count. But my house is most certainly not pristine or perfectly organized. (Are ANY houses with three young children in them like that???)

When I clean, I like to get as much done in as little time as possible. So here are just a few of my favorite tips, tricks, and shortcuts that make cleaning quicker and easier. From my semi-clean house to yours!

1. Sometimes I feel like my house looks just fine. That's when I like to use the "critical eye" trick. Start from your front entryway, and imagine that you're a very critical person entering your home who's never been there before. Suddenly you see things in a whole different light, and not a good one. I like to work my way back through the rooms, de-cluttering and fixing things that the "critical eye" detects right away!

2. I keep antibacterial wipes underneath the high chair. It's much easier to just wipe everything down each time my toddler eats there than letting the gunk build up over time.

3. I keep a small plastic hamper on our stair landing. Clothes (especially socks!) always somehow end up downstairs, and when they're dirty or I have dirty kitchen towels it's so convenient to just toss them in the hamper rather than remembering to haul it all upstairs each time.

4. I love multi-surface wipes! Clean up messes, dust, polish, and then just throw it away!

5. Cleaning becomes much more enjoyable when you listen to some great, upbeat music while you clean. If you don't have a lot of time, just turn on 3 or 5 songs that you love and tell yourself that you'll diligently clean for the entire length of those songs.

6. I like to put used dryer sheets in the bottom of the trash can to absorb odors. It's great to have another use for them and I like the scent! I also use them to dust electronics, like the TV screen.

7. Take a minute and fold your dishtowels. Crumpling them up in the sink or on the counter looks so messy, and it's easy to just fold and hang them up. Same thing goes for bathroom towels!

8. Whenever I juice limes or lemons, I like to put the rinds down the garbage disposal. The citrus cleans it and makes it smell fresh!

9. Try to go through piles or coupons, junk mail, and other papers often and toss anything that's expired or that you know you won't use. Paper clutter is one of the fastest things to build up and it can easily be overwhelming!

10. I keep pretty boxes in various sizes on my counters and in areas where clutter tends to build up. Anything that looks cluttery I can just toss into the boxes and go through it when I have more time. You wouldn't believe the variety of items I end up putting on those boxes! You can usually find great cardboard boxes with pretty designs at Michaels or Ross.

Don't forget to enter Pine-Sol®'s Scent Away Sweepstakes for the chance to win a trip to a Scentsational Destination. I was selected for this Pine-Sol® sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective, which endorses Blog With Integrity, as I do.

What are some of your favorite cleaning tips and tricks? I'd love to hear them!

Travel Tips and Tricks: Navigating Sea World With Young Kids!

Ahhhhh, Sea World.
I grew up going there all the time, and my dream for the longest time was to be a Shamu trainer at Sea World when I grew up. Sometimes I still wish I had done that! We took Kirsten to Sea World San Diego in January, and had a wonderful day there! Here is my guide to help the less-experienced navigate Sea World with young children. (Even if you're experienced, it always helps to read new ideas and tips!)

~1~Make sure you have a FULL day planned. This is not the park to go just for a half day. You will need the entire day to experience everything. Since we went in the off-season, the park closed at 5 pm. Weigh your options when you decide whether to go during the off-season or the busy season. The benefit of the off-season is, of course, fewer crowds. But in the summer and over the holidays the park is open until 10 pm! There's just something much more magical about seeing the Shamu show all lit up at night! More theatrical!

~2~ This kind of goes without saying, but make sure you take your camera with a fully-charged battery and be prepared for some really awesome action shots during the shows!

~3~ I don't say this for every theme park, but definitely for this one. . . Bring your own lunch and snacks! The food they sell there is very over-priced and not at all tasty.

~4~ Good thing to note: Sea World is very BRIGHT. There aren't many trees to provide shade, and all the show seating areas seem to sit fully in the direct sunlight. Even if it's a cool day, dress in layers so you can take your sweatshirts off when you find yourselves baking in the direct sun. Take sunglasses and hats! You'll thank me!
(See how bright that sun is? Yeah. . . not so great for photos)

~5~ When you first get into the park (or even beforehand, since they post the show schedules online), figure out which show times you want to attend and plan your route for the day. There are so many fun viewing areas and petting areas that you'll be able to stop and see between the shows. If you have the time, go see everything, but here are a few of my MUST-see exhibits:

*Forbidden Reef- Pet the friendly and surprisingly cute manta rays that swim all around the huge pool. It only takes a few minutes and it's lots of fun!

*Shark Encounter- You get to ride a moving walkway underneath a tunnel full of sharks!
*Wild Arctic- Awesome underwater viewing areas for beluga whales, narwhales, and polar bears, plus a fun motion-simulator ride! And my 3 year-old was tall enough to ride it!
*Rocky Point Preserve- Pet and feed the dolphins! You do have to pay for fish to feed the dolphins, and keep a sharp eye out for seagulls who love to appear out of nowhere and steal the fish!

(With dolphins so friendly, they smile right at you!)

*Penguin Encounter- SO cute! Plus it's extremely air-conditioned, so a nice place to take a break from the heat if it's a hot day.

*Oh, and don't miss the otter tank! These little guys are just TOO adorable!

~6~ If your kids are not the type who can sit through shows that are 20-30 minutes long, they (and you) might not have too much fun at Sea World, since the shows are such a major part of the park. This is why we decided to only take our 3 year-old who loves to sit through shows, and left our 21 month-old (who does NOT) with her grandparents. Of course, you may not have that same option that we did, but it's something worth noting!

~7~ Don't get to the shows too late, or you will not find seats! The shows will either fill up or you'll have to sit WAY over on the side. It works well to have one parent go in early to save some seats while the other parent takes the kids to see some animals.

~8~ If you do take young kids who might have a hard time sitting still, definitely be prepared with LOTS of snacks and drinks. My favorite trick: Suckers! You could buy them in the park for $5 each or buy them at a party store before you come for 15 cents, and having a few of these tucked into the bag was a lifesaver for keeping Kirsten happy while waiting for the shows to start!

~9~ Really, go see ALL the shows! Do not miss any, they are all so fabulous! Kirsten's favorites were the Sea Lion show (tons of funny antics and the trainers are very kid-oriented and play to the crowd!) and the Pets Rule show.

~10~ I'm not making any promises, but I've found that if you sit on the very back row of the "Splash Zone" you'll have an awesome view and will usually be either completely dry or just a tiny bit sprinkled with water. This is especially true for the sea lion show!

~11~ The brand new show right now is the Dolphin show, and it was really beautiful! They introduced cirque du soleil-style acrobats into the show, and it's very cool to see it all together with the dolphins. One of my favorites of the day!

~12~ It's nice to end your day at Sea World with the last Shamu show. It's just the perfect ending to a great day at the park! And if you go when they have their evening hours, make sure you watch the Shamu show after dark!

~13~ They've changed their shows quite a bit since the unfortunate incident with the trainer being killed. The trainers don't get in the water during the Shamu show anymore, and they no longer choose a child from the audience to stand next to Shamu and feed and pet him. A little sad! But still a great show.

~14~ Don't miss the rides! When I was little Sea World didn't have ANY rides, and now they have three!
*Shipwreck Rapids is great, but only if you want to get wet! Because you WILL, and possibly very soaked. Perfect for a hot day though!
*Wild Arctic has the fun motion simulator! Kirsten loved it!
*Journey To Atlantis roller coaster was closed when we went there, but I've been on it in the past. I love a good roller coaster!

~15~ If you have Sesame Street fans (and I do!), they will probably want to stay the entire day in the Sesame Street Bay of Play. This is SUCH a fun play area for kids! They have tons of space for kids to run and play and climb, a giant sand box with dump trucks and other toys, and a few fun rides for kids (Elmo's Flying Fish was the biggest hit, we rode that one three times!)

~16~ If your kids like the Sesame Street characters, check the schedule for the times the characters will be available for photo opps. They let you use your own cameras! Kirsten was THRILLED to death to meet Elmo and Cookie Monster. She still talks about it and tells me, "I touched Cookie Monster's eyes!" (Because she did, she poked his googly eyes!!!)

My friend snapped these photos of Kirsten and her daughter with Elmo and Cookie!

~17~ Take a stroller! Or you can rent one there. Even kids who aren't normally stroller riders will get tired of walking around Sea World all day. It's not a huge park, but it's plenty big for small legs!

~18~ You aren't allowed to bring strollers into the shows with you because they don't have the space for them in the aisles, so they provide large stroller "parking lots" outside the entrances to the shows. Take your valuables with you, and if you have a fancy stroller you might want to consider renting one for the day. You can rent singles or doubles.

~19~ The stuffed animal souvenirs they sell of all the animals really are cute! It's a fun idea to let your child choose one to take home with her. When I was little I had a Sea World stuffed animal collection, and every time I went I chose another animal to add. I still have them somewhere!

~20~ If you can, go with friends or family in a group! There's even more people to save seats at the shows, and it's a whole lot of fun!

Any great tips or tricks that I missed? Please leave me a comment and share!

Giveaway Winners!

Yay, we have new winners!

Here they are. . .

*Winner of the flower headband from Bellasma Etsy shop is. . . #107!
mframe said... Add Bellasma to your Etsy favorites

*Winner of the hand-knit mittens from Black-Capped Crafts Etsy shop is. . . #161!
Snowflake07 said...From the 3 designs, I would be most excited to win #3 from Evie Green Pixie.

*Winner of the $25 gift certificate from EvieGreenPixie Etsy shop is. . . #81!
Chrissy said... I just love the sparkle and shine grey flower headband (photo prop, wedding, flowergirl, ready to ship 6 mos-babies through adult sizes avaliable) from Bellamsma, not only is it gorgeous but I can wear it too

*Winner of the Flameless Candle Gift Set from Enjoy Lighting is. . . #10!
strawberry said... I follow you GFC

*Winner of the TruKid Hair Products Gift Set is. . . #50!
Jansen Family said... I'd like to try the Little Looster so my bathroom stool holds still!

*Winner of the Little Looster is. . . #7!
Kady L. said... From the Innobaby website I like the "Keepin' Fresh Kids Stainless Drinking Cup - Save The Planet Fish / Pink Silicone / 12 oz". I like that the opening is large enough that the dishwasher will wash it well!

*Winner of the Innobaby Packin' Smart Stack 'n Seal is. . . #65!
Kim said... "Like" BobbleRoos on Facebook

*Winner of the Toddler Pillow and Blanket Set from BobbleRoos is. . . #23!
Christa said... I left a comment on your "To Camp or Not to Camp" blog post!

Congratulations to all the winners and a BIG thank you to all the companies and designers who sponsored these giveaways and to everyone who entered! The winners have all been emailed and will have 48 hours to respond before new winners are chosen.

A Blessing Day and a Brand New Year!

On December 26'th, we blessed our sweet little Brooke in my parents' ward down in San Diego. It was a wonderful day, filled with family and lots o' love!

Our first picture as a family of FIVE!

All the men who helped with Brooke's blessing:

Precious little baby! She looked so beautiful in the white dress!

My grandparents were there!

And of course my parents were too!

The kids had a great time running around the grassy hill. It's the same church building that I grew up attending, and I can remember doing log rolls down that same hill.

All the cousins looked so cute in their (unplanned!) red and black outfits!

And here it is. . . officially the latest New Years post you've ever seen!!!
If you think you're behind on your blog, now you can feel better, because at least you're not posting your New Year's eve pictures in MARCH!

I didn't want to skip it though, so enjoy my pictures of all the little party animals we had (none of whom actually stayed up until midnight).

Baby New Year just wanted to sleep!

The adults had a fun time staying up to eat and play games, and I was so happy that my bestie Carrie came over with her daughter to spend the night. We had such a great time!

So. . . even though it's VERY late. . . happy new year from our family! We hope 2011 is completely amazing for us and for everyone reading this!

Fun Finds: Lovin' Little Girls Super-Giveaway!

Since I have three little girls, I figure I might as well embrace it and post a SUPER girly giveaway, full of things little girls will adore!

(Boys might like some of this stuff too, by the way)

#1- TWO winners will each receive a copy of the brand new Strawberry Shortcake DVD, 'Puttin' On the Glitz'. I haven't even watched this yet, as it's not being released until March 22'nd, so my winners of this DVD will be among the first to receive it!

I love the new Strawberry Shortcake movies and toys. They're very cute and wholesome, and the movies have really great messages to convey to young girls.

*Free printable alert: You can go here to download and print the cute, free coloring page from the movie!

#2- Cute little toy pets in purses from the Pawparazzi Pet Shop!

Here's why we like the Pawparazzi pets in our house:
*Each one really comes as a complete playset! Each animal comes with a mini purse to carry it in, blanket, clothing and accessories to match the pet's personality, a trading card filled with facts, and a pet poster.
*These are fun collectible toys, and you can buy additional sets of clothing and accessories to make your pets super-stylin!
*If your kids like dressing up and carrying little purses around as much as mine do, they'll think it's even MORE fun to carry a little pet around in their purse!
*The packaging doubles as a play stage. Pretty cool!
*My kids are a bit young for this, but older girls will love going to Planet Pawparazzi where they can play, learn, and be entertained by their pets.

The winner of this prize gets their choice of Karma, the Inspirational Yoga Master Kitty (comes complete with yoga mat and yoga outfit!). . .

Or Woofgang, the Celebrity Chef Dog!

The winner will ALSO receive a Day At the Spa dress up set, or. . .

A Winter Holiday dress-up set! Pretty good prize package, I'd say!

#3- A Harper Hat from Tweetlebug Boutique!

This is SUCH a sweet little hat for a newborn girl!
These hats are handmade out of actual hospital newborn hat material, so you can be sure they will be the perfect fit for a tiny little head. . . just a lot more stylish!
The Harper Hat sells for $16.99 and they offer free shipping on all hat orders.


#4- An adorable umbrella in your style of choice from Kidorable!
Kidorable makes my very favorite rain gear for kids (and living in Seattle, I should know, right?) The quality of their products is top-notch and everything is really cute. I'm loving this Butterfly Umbrella!

Okay, boys will like this giveaway too. How about this Frog Umbrella? Definitely one of my faves!

We were able to review some rain gear from Kidorable's new Ballerina line. This is perfect for my almost 4 year-old daughter, who just started taking dance classes this year and now wants everything to be ballet-themed! My favorite product we reviewed are these sweet rain boots:

#5- an Ultimate Receiving Blanket from SwaddleDesigns in your choice of fabric!
(This one's for baby boys too!)
Isn't this Paisley fabric the cutest???
What I'm loving about SwaddleDesigns:
*The fabrics are gorgeous and HIGH-quality! So much of the time I'm bummed that baby products look too babyish (ducks, teddy bears anyone?) and not really beautiful. These fabrics are truly awesome!
*The Ultimate Receiving Blanket is made out of cotton flannel. . . the number one choice in hospitals for swaddling. The blankets are large, square, lightweight and breathable. They are also really soft and preshrunk!
*If you've ever had trouble swaddling your baby, you're not alone! It sure isn't as easy as those hospital nurses always make it look. For the rest of us, these blankets have 1-2-3-Swaddle instructions sewn to the edge of each blanket. I love this feature!

I was able to review one of their Fitted Crib Sheets. I really love the high quality of the cotton flannel, and the Lime with Brown Mod Circles fabric that I chose!
Swaddle Designs also has great info on their website about Safe Sleep for infants. The SwaddleDesigns Goldilocks Guide states that baby should be dressed appropriately for the current temperature of their environment- not too hot, not too cold, but comfortably warm.


#6- $20 gift certificate to Flowerz In Her Hair!
One of the best things about having little girls is definitely the fun of dressing them up and accessorizing them! I'm constantly on the lookout for new hair clips and flowers, and it feels like I hit the jackpot at Flowerz In Her Hair.

Reasons to love them:
*Awesome variety! You can get pretty much any size, style, and color of flowers and bows here. They do flowers with rhinestone centers, natural centers, or button centers, and you can choose your type of clip you want. They are all interchangeable with the hats and headbands too!
*Really good prices! Flower clips sell for as low as $3 and $4 each, and you won't even get hit with shipping costs, because every order over $10 has free shipping. AND each order comes with a free clip holder you can hang on the wall! I don't know if I've seen a better deal than this anywhere on hair accessories!

A $20 gift certificate to this place will go really far, and you can choose anything you want from the shop! Here's my Natalie modeling one of their marabou puffs:

Here's how to enter to win all this fun stuff (there will be 7 separate winners!!!):

*Become a follower of my blog! Or let me know if you already follow me. Either way, leave me a comment and tell me you're a follower! (Just click 'Google Friends Connect' on my sidebar!)

Get extra entries (up to 27 this time!!!) when you:
1. Like me on Facebook! Just click the button on my sidebar to become a Facebook fan!
2. Leave a comment telling me why you like Strawberry Shortcake and whether or not you used to play with them as a kid.
3. Visit the Pawparazzi Pet Shop and tell me which cute little animal there is your favorite.
4. Go here and Like Pawparazzi Pets on Facebook.
5. Become a Pawparazzi Twitter follower here.
6. Sign up for the Pawparazzi Pets newsletter here.
7. Tell me which hat you love the most at the Tweetlebug Boutique.
8. Like Tweetlebug Boutique on Facebook here.
9. Go here to follow Tweetlebug Boutique on Twitter.
10. Look at all the umbrella styles on Kidorable and tell me which one you'll choose if you win.
11. Go Like Kidorable on Facebook.
12. Follow Kidorable here on Twitter.
13. Go here and join the Kidorable Birthday Club.
14. Look at all the gorgeous fabric options at SwaddleDesigns and tell me which fabric you'd choose!
15. Tell me if you've swaddled your babies and for how long.
16. Like SwaddleDesigns here on Facebook.
17. Follow SwaddleDesigns on Twitter.
18. Join the SwaddleDesigns email club for exclusive savings!
19. Look around Flowerz In Her Hair and tell me some of things you'd want to get with your $20 gift certificate!
20. Like Flowerz In Her Hair on Facebook.
21. Follow Flowerz In Her Hair on Twitter.
22. Mention this giveaway on your Facebook status, and be sure to link to this post!
23. Tweet about this giveaway and link to me.
24. Mention this giveaway on your blog and link to me!
25. Grab my button off my sidebar and display it somewhere on your blog.
26. Leave a new comment on any of my other recent blog posts (doesn't matter which one, I just love to read your comments!), and let me know you did.
27. Tell me which prize you'd be most excited to win.

*Please leave a separate comment for EACH entry, and make sure I have a way to contact you if you are the winner! This giveaway will close on March 24'th. Good luck!!!

My Disclaimer: I received some free products in exchange for writing honest reviews. All opinions are totally mine and I was not compensated!