Benchmark for a good kids birthday party?

Instead of Wordless Wednesday I thought we'd try video Wednesday.  Check out this video from my youngest son's recent birthday party over at Wowzville in Laguna Hills, CA.  I think it's pretty funny that I now use the amount of screaming fun as a benchmark for a good kids birthday party.  By all accounts, this one was a ton of fun... What do you think?

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Terramor Water Park - Wordless Wednesday

Also known as the Red Bucket... it is a favorite for kids in Ladera Ranch 

(you can read my posts about it here and here).

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Irvine Lanes Bowling 50% Discount - Hurry Though!

So you may have noticed the nice green box over on the right hand side of the site (below the Facebook Fan Page box), recently Screamin' Coupons contacted me asking if I'd like to advertise local deals to my readers. I was pretty skeptical at first but after looking in to it I realized they are AMAZING local deals (you normally have to act fast before they disappear!) and I knew when I wanted to take advantage of the deals... you would too!  For example take a look at today's deal at the Irvine Lanes... you can't beat it!

So be sure to check back daily to see what local deals (like massages, facials, surf lessons and dinners) you can find!

(Disclaimer... Screamin' Coupons is an affiliate program, but I thought the amazing well below retail deals were worth participating and advertising to you!)

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Where on Earth Do You Find a Space Cake in OC?

Birthday cakes are tough for kids.  Do you go the cupcake route?  Or the character theme cake?  It's always stressful for me to decide!  After last year's complete and total failure for a cake (let's just say that deep army green doesn't make for a nice backdrop of cake decorating when you are trying to make planets out of icing...).  This year I was a bit panicked for what to do for Brett's cake until I happened to be invited to a Mom Blogger event at Divine Desserts in Laguna Niguel a couple weeks ago.

After tasting the wonderful cupcakes I knew I was in the right place and immediately placed my order for Brett's Space themed cake. 

I wasn't really sure what to expect but when I picked up the cake the afternoon of the party  was completly floored.  The best part?  It tasted as amazing as it looked!  I know we'll be getting all our cakes there from now on!

Take a peek at how it turned out...

Whether you're looking for a sweet snack, planning a get together or need a cake, pop in to meet the crew at Divine Desserts - they'll be able to design a work of art that is sure to please the toughest critics.  They are located at the Plaza de la Paz Center, 27261 La Paz Road, Suite G, Laguna Niguel, CA. (Between Henry's & CVS).  Click here to check out their website. Follow them on Twitter of become a fan on Facebook.

Here's the Whrrl story of the Mom Blogger event that shows some of the scrumptious snacks and behind the scenes peek!

More check-ins at Divine Desserts etc.

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Birthday Parties at Scooter's Jungle!

Once my boys started to reach Preschool age, I found I didn’t really want to have their birthday parties at home. It can be a bit overwhelming at first with the amount of options we have here in Orange County for hosting kids birthday parties, so I thought it would be helpful for parents to start profiling some of the places we have been to for parties and talk about the pros/cons of each place. I’d also like to share some of the tips I have learned for maintaining sanity while planning them!

If you live in South Orange County and have school aged kids, I would be shocked if you haven’t at least heard of Scooter’s Jungle if not been at a party there. Over the years, we have been to several parties there and hosted several of our own. Scooter’s Jungle really has the kid’s birthday party down to a science and makes for a low-stress party for the parents. For me, the biggest stress surrounding parties at Scooter’s Jungle, is how many kids will show up and making sure I have enough party favors for ones that don’t RSVP, but that is because I always choose to put together my own goodie bags. But, they even have a solution for that! If you buy the pre-made party favors from Scooter’s Jungle and you have more kids show up at the last minute, you can almost instantly have the extra party favors bags brought in to the party room, piece of cake! They have several different options for the party bags, including separate ones for boys and girls.

The parties at Scooter’s Jungle are about 1 ½ hours long depending on which arena you choose. I really love how you have the entire play area for just your party so you don’t have other children running through. This allows for hide-and-go seek games as well as other great games. I have found the designated party hosts to all be great with the kids and as the parent of the birthday child, you really have nothing to do but socialize. The hosts take care of everything from entertaining the kids to setting up the food you brought, to helping you organize the presents that come in.

Scooter’s Jungle is located in Aliso Viejo, Placentia and one in Valencia and their website is: http://www.scootersjungle.com/ . Pricing and contact information are listed on their site.


Things to note:
-Pizza must be ordered through Scooter’s Jungle, but the hosts will serve and provide plates, napkins, etc.
-You bring your own cake & candles, but they have a lighter and cake cutter.
-Do bring a veggie platter, fruit platter and other hand snacks, mostly for the parents to munch on.
-Book your party as far in advance as you can to secure your time and prevent scheduling issues.
-Drop-off parties are allowed - just be sure you have a few parents who plan on sticking around.
-Be prepared to have exhausted kids, this is one party that really tires them out.

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