Hullabaloo Family Arts Festival Recap from a San Diego Mom {Guest Post}

My oldest daughter has loved Hullabaloo since she first saw them preform when she was 3, at one of our playgroups. So it was a no-brainer when Danielle asked me if we wanted to attend The Hullabaloo Family Arts Festival since her family was going to be out of town that weekend.

Gigi (my 2 year old) has seen them twice, and always loves dancing along, especially when the bubble machine comes out. I do have to admit that I was a little nervous that Belle & her girlfriend would be bored, since she is now almost 9 and prefers Katy Perry to kids folk music, but I was SO wrong.

The festival was perfect for both of my kids, and Belle & Grace kept running up to me to say what an awesome time they were having. The kids colored a paper guitar, dressed up in princess clothes, hula hooped, received free candy & tshirts, and that was all before we even watched one of the bands play.

We stayed for a few hours, and finished our day with a visit to the food trucks where the kids happily enjoyed their cheese sticks, hot dogs and french fries.

A great time was had by all, and even my Mom, Ghacki, had a blast!

This is a guest post from my friend Tessa of Grin & Share It Photography. She was kind enough to take my Hullabaloo Family Arts Festival tickets off my hands while I was out of town for the event.

She runs an amazing San Diego photography business and we've been lucky to have her behind the camera for many of our family photo sessions.

Win tickets to @DisneyonIce in #SanDiego and enjoy some family fun!

Join the celebration as 65 of Disney’s unforgettable characters from 18 beloved stories come to life in

You’ll be captivated by the one and only Mickey Mouse, the irresistible Minnie Mouse, Goofy, Donald Duck, Jiminy Cricket, Pinocchio and all the Disney Princesses. Be thrilled by exciting moments from The Lion King; Mulan; and Disney/Pixar’s Finding Nemo, The Incredibles, and Toy Story films; in a skating spectacular filled with magical Disney moments you’ll remember forever as Disney On Ice celebrates 100 Years of Magic!

And opening night tickets are only $10 each! 

A century of classic and new Disney stars are taking to the ice to share memories, laughs and excitement in Disney On Ice celebrates 100 Years of Magic. The celebration, 100 years in the making, is coming to the following venues this tour season:

Oct 10 - Oct 14 - San Diego, CA, Valley View Casino Center 

Oct 17 - Oct 21  - Oakland, CA, ORACLE Arena

Oct 24 - Oct 28 - San Jose, CA, HP Pavilion at San Jose 

Nov 01 - Nov 04 - Sacramento, CA, Power Balance Pavilion

Nov 08 - Nov 11 - Bakersfield, CA, Rabobank Arena

Nov 14 - Nov 18 - Salt Lake City, UT, EnergySolutions Arena

Nov 21 - Nov 25 - Des Moines, IA, Wells Fargo Arena

Nov 29 - Dec 02 - Duluth, MN, Duluth Entertainment Convention Center

Dec 06 - Dec 09 - St. Paul, MN, Xcel Energy Center

Dec 13 - Dec 16 - Moline, IL, i wireless Center

Dec 20 - Dec 24 - Toledo, OH, The Huntington Center

Dec 27 - Dec 30 - Boston, MA, TD Garden

Jan 02 - Jan 06 - Syracuse, NY, The OnCenter War Memorial Arena

Jan 10 - Jan 13 - Reading, PA, Sovereign Center

Jan 16 - Jan 21 - Wilkes Barre, PA, Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza

Jan 24 - Jan 27 - London, Ontario, Budweiser Gardens

Jan 31 - Feb 03 - Binghamton, NY, Broome County Veterans Memorial Arena

Feb 14 - Feb 17 - Milwaukee, WI, U.S. Cellular Arena 

Feb 28 - Mar 03 - Grand Rapids, MI, Van Andel Arena

Purchase your tickets on the Disney on Ice website here  

San Diego residents have the opportunity to WIN a family four pack of tickets to the opening night performance of Disney on Ice at the Valley View Casino Center (formerly the San Diego Sports Arena)!

Simply enter with the rafflecopter form below for your chances to win. Good luck!

Disney on Ice is Coming to San Diego!

Be part of the festivities when Disney On Ice celebrates 100 Years of Magic comes to the Valley View Casino Center (formerly known as the San Diego Sports Arena) in San Diego, Oct. 10-14!
More than 60 of Disney's captivating characters and their unforgettable stories come to life in this commemorative celebration, produced by Feld Entertainment.

In this lavish ice show, everyone's favorite sweethearts, Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse, take audiences on a fun-filled adventure, sharing memories with Disney friends including Goofy, Donald Duck, the beloved Disney Princesses, Buzz Lightyear, Woody, Jiminy Cricket, Pinocchio, Mulan, Timon, Pumbaa, Stitch, Nemo, the Incredibles and many more!

Beautifully choreographed skating, breathtaking production numbers, stunning costumes and toe-tapping songs will inspire fond Disney memories. Families can share this once-in-a-lifetime skating spectacular as Mickey and the rest of the gang take the audience on a whirlwind tour of favorite Disney moments.

The Details

What: Disney on Ice

Where: Valley View Casino Center (formerly San Diego Sports Arena)
               3500 Sports Arena Boulevard San Diego, CA 92110

When: October 10-14, 2012
             Wednesday, Oct. 10 7:00 PM
             Thursday, Oct. 11 7:00 PM
             Friday, Oct. 12 7:00 PM
             Saturday, Oct. 13 11:00 AM, 3:00 PM & 7:00 PM
             Sunday, Oct. 14 1:30 PM (Spanish) & 5:30 PM

Tickets: Ticket price levels are $17, $23, $39, (VIP) and $55 (Front Row).

Opening Night tickets available on select seating for only $10 each!

(not valid on premium seating; limit 6 tickets per order). 

Tickets are available online at Ticketmaster.com, charge by phone at 800-745-3000 or at the venue Box Office.

To discover more about Disney On Ice, go to www.DisneyOnIce.com, or visit us on Facebook and YouTube or on Twitter at @DisneyOnIce! 

Disclaimer: As a Feld Family Ambassador, I received a family 4-pack of tickets to this show. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. 

Just Keep Swimming over to the Theater {Finding Nemo in 3D - In Theaters September 14th}

Every once in a while there's a movie that is just made for the big screen. And experiencing it in any other way does the film an injustice.

One of my favorite Disney movies of all time is Finding Nemo. Sure it isn't a "classic" but it's an amazingly triumphant story that gives hope to anyone who's just a little bit different. In 2008, Finding Nemo was named one of the top 10 greatest animated films ever made by the American Film Institute. And I agree!

This past weekend my husband had the opportunity to take our son to see Finding Nemo in 3D. I thought it fitting that a father take his son to see the movie and they had an absolute blast. With popcorn and water in hand they headed to the theater with their 3D glasses.

Since my son is a bit too small to fully see the screen, they grabbed a booster seat to make it easier for him.

Once settled, they munched on popcorn and waited for the movie to start. Throughout the movie my son kept mentioning how cool it was to see the fish so big. He even asked if we could upgrade our fish tank to be the size of the screen. Sadly, my husband had to tell him no.

The experience of watching Finding Nemo in 3D on the big screen was definitely one that made memories for my husband and son. And I'm sure I'll be hearing about it for months to come...

On September 14th, Finding Nemo is coming back to theaters. And it isn't just coming back, it's coming back in 3D! 

So if you missed out on experiencing Finding Nemo in theaters the first time around, here's your chance to relive the story of Nemo, his father, Dori, and all of the other marine life under the sea. You won't be disappointed.

And if you don't head to the theaters, Bruce just might pay you a visit!

Finding Nemo returns to theaters for the first time in 3D September 14th, 2012!  

For more information check out Finding Nemo 3D  on Facebook or head on over to the Disney's Finding Nemo website and take a look at sneak peeks, games to play online, activities to do at home, and more.

Disclaimer: I received two tickets to the pre-screening of Finding Nemo 3D. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.