Halloween has taken on a new meaning in our family...

We crossed an important milestone in our household this Halloween.  No longer is trick or treating for hours on end the activity of choice for my boys.

As Halloween approached I just had this feeling that the same excitement level wasn't there.  A couple of nights before, we took a family vote and my husband was shocked at the result (me... not so shocked), the kids voted to spend one hour trick or treating around the neighborhood and to spend the rest of the evening at home watching Ghost Hunters Live event on the Sci Fi channel (thanks to Ghost Hunters, the Flix heat vision camera in now on the Christmas Wish lists!). 

We stocked up on homemade fresh pop corn and chips and settled in for the night after our one hour of trick or treating.  Everyone in the house was content.

And by the way we found that Kit Kat bars we the most common handout of the night around our neighborhood, how about yours?

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It's Official...

It's official!  I'm so excited to announce that I'm now one of the Mommy Bloggers over at ParentingOC.com!  I have two posts up so far (here and here), so pop on over and say "Hi" at Slice of Life in OC.

*I'll still be keeping this blog up and as active as always, but I'll be doing the occasional cross post when it makes sense.  :)

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Yeah... I'm one of those

Yep. I'm one of  "those Moms" who wishes I could wrap my son in bubble wrap ... I settled for every form of safety gear I could find...

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Tips on How To Include Your Dog this Halloween - A guest post

Enjoy this fun guest post written by Stacy Braverman, Founder of BNYdogs.com 

(Note: the image below is actually my dog and I reserve all rights to the image.)

Tips on How To Include Your Dog this Halloween

 Have you bought enough doggie biscuits to give out to trick or treaters this Halloween? That’s right, doggie biscuits. But whatever you do, don't give them to the kids – it may anger some parents in the neighborhood! You should be prepared, however, to have some biscuits for those four-footed ghost and goblins that may bark at your door this Halloween.

We mustn't leave out our pets when celebrating special occasions – and Halloween is no exception. Ever noticed the glare and stare from Fido when everyone is getting dressed up for Halloween, laughing, having a wonderful time – and he's left out just because he's a dog?

Bitch New York (www.bnydogs.com) has one thing on their minds -- our doggie loved ones – and they have created fun ways to involve your pet in every special occasion.

Here are just a few suggestions from Bitch New York to make this Halloween season the best ever:

Watch Fido's eyes light up when you put on the the latest tiger costume. WARNING: don't be surprised if you notice some new found courage or larger than life roar while in costume.

Can you say food? One of the most popular shows on cable TV these days is The Food Network. I love the competitive nature of the male chefs; the warm personality of the female chefs. This year you can dress up your doggie after your favorite Food Network personality! Don't tell Paula Dean, but doesn't our beautiful doggie chef resemble her a bit?

Sports are a favorite past time for people and doggies too! Halloween wouldn't be the same without a football costume... Check out our cool costume for Fido. If you have teenage boys, they might throw the dog though, so our football costume would probably be a safer choice while still keeping with the football spirit.

We are a country of proud Americans and that is demonstrated by millions across this great country every day. Well, this may be news to you, but our doggies are proud Americans too and they want to support this great nation this Halloween by dressing up in her colors. Check out our Uncle Sam Costume for Fido and Lady too... They will look great this Halloween and will walk tall and proud in their patriotic costumes.

Don't forget to stock up on special doggie treats this Halloween Season... Don't worry, if you have left-overs, all doggie treats will be gone in no time and Fido will love you for it!

If sweets are not an option for your pet, be sure to spoil him with an unforgettable Halloween dinner. Check out our scrumptious meals they will remember until next Halloween: Chicken and Fried Rice, Organic Bison or a Veg to Bowl for our vegetarian friends - we aim to please all of our doggy appetites.

By the way, if you haven't started brushing your doggie’s teeth, this Halloween would be a great time start. Clean teeth and fresh breath are essential for your doggie’s love life and a welcome response from you with all those wet kisses he loves to give you! Regular oral hygiene will ensure your doggie’s teeth are healthy, fresh and white.

What a great Halloween it's going to be for you and your pet this year! Make sure to take lots of pictures of your doggie in costume - there will be many Halloween memories to share together for many years to come and Bitch New York wants to put a few of our best doggies in costume in the spot light! All you need to do is send in your pics and we're going to pick the top three doggies to profile in a story and give him or her their 30 seconds of fame. The top three winners will also be able to pick a gift of their choice from our doggie accessory store. Good luck to all and we hope this year will be the best Halloween ever for you and your beloved companion.

Bitch New York is proud to make contributions to benefit the welfare of animals. We regularly donate merchandise and proceeds to charitable events that surround the animal community. Click Here if would like to read more about our charity work or if you would like to donate something to the cause.

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Wendy's Pick 2 Salads are Delish!

Last week I had the chance to meet up with some of my favorite OC and LA bloggers at the Wendy's Pick 2 launch lunch.  As I know many Moms do, I try to order a salad most of the time when we are at a fast food restaurant for a number of reasons.  One reason is the reduced calorie count and the other is the nutritional benefit, but I think people are shocked when they realize that many of the salads at fast food restaurants are neither.  Many are loaded with inexpensive and nutrient deficient ice berg lettuce and are loaded with high calorie fillers to enhance the taste appeal.

I was more than thrilled to see and taste the new Wendy's salads because they are exactly what I've been looking for in a fast food salad!  They are made with nutritious items like cranberries, roasted pecans, apple slices and are accompanied by super yummy less calorie dense dressings like the pomegranate vinaigrette I had.  I had the Apple Pecan 1/2 size Salad with Vinaigrette Dressing and I must say it was SUPER delicious and totally filling.  Paired with a water bottle it was less than $6 and makes for a perfect salad on the go.   I also love the fact that the salad had less than 300 calories!

Other super yummy salad offerings are the new BLT Cobb salad (hearty mix of crisp Applewood Smoked Bacon, chopped egg, real blue cheese crumbles, grilled chicken and creamy Avocado Ranch dressing), the Baja Salad (rich and meaty chili with fresh pico de gallo, guacamole, tortilla strips and creamy Red Jalapeño dressing), or the Spicy Chicken Caesar Salad (Taste our warm spicy chicken with shaved Asiago cheese, grape tomatoes and Lemon Caesar dressing).  Wendy's new Pick 2 menu allows you to pick two items from their Pick 2 menu all for $4.99 and that give you 28 different combinations!  It makes a healthy lunch on the go affordable.

Sound delicious?  Be sure to head over to the OCMomActivities Facebook page for a fun Facebook only giveaway later today!

*Photos above are used with permission.  About the Photographer: Based in Long Beach, Kristin Eldridge photographs babies, children and their families in the OC and LA.  She loves making art out of the everyday moments of childhood.  Kristin's website features a variety of unique locations and her blog keeps you informed about special promotions and events.

** This post is part of a compensated campaign with Wendy's, but the opinions expressed are 100% genuine.

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Why I LOVE rainy Wednesdays...

And this is why I love rainy Wednesdays during the school year at Disneyland... The ride wait times are hard to beat!

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Halloween Time at Disneyland - Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday...

This just makes me smile!

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A Facebook Halloween Villain App from Disney!

Halloween is almost here and I thought I'd share this fun Facebook Application directly from Disney:

Turn yourself into a villain

Disneyland -> http://apps.facebook.com/disney-villainize-dl/entries/new

DisneyWorld -> http://apps.facebook.com/disney-villainize-dw/entries/new

1. Select favorite Disney villain and scene
2. Add a photo (either from FB or uploaded)
3. Position the photo to fit in the image
4. Share your “villainized” self with friends and family

Be sure to comment on the OCMomActivities Facebook fan page here so we can all see your Disney Villain photo!

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Bug Invasion at Discovery Science Museum

Being a Mom of two bug loving little boys, I've been pretty lucky to not have more of them end up in the house!

We recently had the chance to head over to a special preview at the Bug Invasion exhibit at the Discovery Science Museum in Santa Ana to continue the trend of keeping the bugs on the other side of my front door!  The boys could have explored for hours because there are surprises around every corner.

From hands on exhibits with real live bugs that kids can hold (on the weekends)...

to giant displays that really make you feel like you've been shrunk...

to robotic bugs you can control...

to a 3D maze...

then be sure to check out the extensive collection of butterflies and other insects!

On October 30th and 31st the Discovery Science Museum will be hosting fun special events including pumpkin painting, costume parades and trick or treating at the exhibits.  These are included with the your admission and as a bonus you'll receive a free ride coupon for The Pumpkin Factory located next door a the Main Place Mall in Santa Ana. 
For more information head on over here.

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A NASCAR themed cake?

You may remember the really cool Space Themed cake we got for my son's birthday a few months ago from Divine Desserts in Laguna Niguel.  So as we were planning the party for my other son, there wasn't a question of where we were going to get the cake from!  All it came down to was what theme the party was going to be so we could figure out what type of cake to get.  He decided he wanted to have his party in the Nascar room at Wowzville (I'll be posting about that adventure of a night later this week!). 

We decided to go with a cake in the shape of a steering wheel and the rest is history... without a doubt the cake was super cool and I promise it tasted just as yummy as it looks!

Thanks Divine Desserts for another AMAZING cake!

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