where parenting meets fun in the sun

I have such fond memories of the circus growing up. And more specifically, treasured memories of Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey still linger. My grandmother took me to the Convention Center up in Orange County more than 20 years ago and I was simply dazzled by all the goings on– the clowns, the acrobats, and the animals! I still have my glossy souvenir booklet!

That’s why when I heard about this great offer for moms and their families (brought to you by Mom Central and Feld Entertainment), I knew I had to share it with you! You and your family can see Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey’s newest venture Zing Zang Zoom! for just $44 for a family of 4** (and each additional ticket is just $11). Just enter the code MOM at checkout at www.ticketmaster.com for this special deal.

Zing Zang Zoom! is playing in 3 So Cal locations (LA/Ontario/Anaheim) from July 8-August 2.

Anaheim Dates/Times:

July 16: 1:00pm, 7:30pm

July 17: 10:30am, 7:30pm

July 18: 11:30am, 3:30pm, 7:30pm

July 19: 1:30pm, 5:30pm

July 20: 1:00pm

July 21: 7:30pm

July 22: 1:00pm, 7:30pm

July 23: 10:30am, 7:30pm

July 24: 1:00pm, 7:30pm

July 25: 11:30am, 3:30pm, 7:30pm

July 26: 1:30pm, 5:30pm, 7:30pm

For Show times in LA/Ontario area visit www.ticketmaster.com and to see more about Zing Zang Zoom! visit the Ringling Website.

*Use promo code MOM when purchasing tickets at Arena Box Offices, Ticketmaster.com or by calling 1-800-745-3000. Enter code in the “MC Promotion Box” on Ticketmaster

**Minimum purchase of 4 tickets required; additional tickets above 4 can be purchased at $11 each. Offer not valid on Circus Celebrity Seating, Front Row and VIP seating or combinable with other offers.  Other Restrictions May Apply.

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(every project comes with parent & child friendly instructions!)

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Never under estimate the power of Social Media. For if not for the likes of Twitter, I might not have discovered the fantastic burger-inspired eatery known as The Burger Lounge. This little gem of a restaurant features a simple and delicious menu with the Premium Grilled Lounge Burger as it’s cornerstone item. Made from Tallgrass Beef, their burgers stand heads (of cattle that is!) above the common restaurant burger. The menu also offers vegetarian items such as the their excellent Turkey Burger and killer Cesar Salad. Recently, my family and I had the chance to visit The Burger Lounge and sample their tasty offerings.  We were not disappointed! The Lounge Burger was excellent-gourmet taste with a relaxed presentation. Seating is a little cozier than I had anticipated, but it made for some friendly interaction with the wait staff. And speaking of the staff…We visited the La Jolla location and our service there was just the right mix of friendly, attentive and yet very relaxed. The menu is moderately priced and priced well for the quality of food they offer. They have 3 locations in and around the San Diego area- La Jolla, San Diego (Kensington) and Coronado (with another opening in the Little Italy area of Downtown soon). They are open Monday through Saturday from 11am to 9pm and Sunday from 11 to 8pm. For more info, check out The Burger Lounge website.

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I got an email from Jimmy Duke of Dark Thirty Productions with a small list of free concerts starting this coming weekend and going through the summer. Mark your calendars!

June 16-Del Mar Powerhouse Park (next to Jake’s): Eve Selis

June 24-Balboa Park: The Bayou Brothers

June 25-Santee Trolley Station: The Cat-Illacs

July 7-Balboa Park: Stars On The Water

July 12-La Jolla: Big Time Operator

July 12- La Mesa Harry Griffins Park :Mark Jackson Band (6:00pm)

July 17-Trolley Barn Park: Joe Rathburn’s Island

July 21-Balboa Park: The Cat-Illacs

July 23-Santee Trolley Station: Cash’d Out

July 23-Balboa Park:  San Diego Six

July 26-La Jolla: Joe Rathburn’s Island

July 30-Lemon Grove: The Cat-Illacs

July 31-El Cajon: Bill Magee Blues Band

August 20-Santee Trolley Station:The Corvettes

August 21-El Cajon: Eve Selis

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Hansen’s is celebrating the natural beauty of our city with a photo contest. Take a can of Hansen’s to your favorite San Diego landmark and snap a picture. Upload it to the Hansen’s Loves San Diego site from June 1st - June 7th and you could win $500!

Once you upload your photo ask everyone you know to vote for you. The winner of Week 4’s voting will go up against the Week 1-3 winners for a chance at a $5,000 grand prize*!

The contest has been running since May 11th so this is your last chance to get in on the sweepstakes. Grab your camera and some Hansen’s and enjoy our beautiful city.

Win It!

Hansen’s has been in San Diego since the 1930’s. The offer a full line of sodas, energy drinks, teas and juice. Their Natural Soda has no artificial colors or flavors, no preservatives, no sodium and no caffeine. They use cane sugar rather than high fructose corn syrup (diet Hansen’s uses Splenda) and are gluten and dairy free. Click here for a printable $4 rebate coupon!

Hansen’s would like one of our readers to have 4 cases of their soda to kick off summer!

To enter:

1. Leave a comment here with your favorite San Diego beach, mountain, landmark or hiking trail (required).

2. Extra (optional) entries for blogging about the Hansen’s Loves San Diego contest, submitting your own photo to the contest or sending out a Tweet about the contest.

3. Leave a separate comment for each entry method.

4. Please make sure we have a way to contact you. Winner’s information will be sent to Hansen’s.

5. SDMS contest ends June 7th at midnight. Winner will have until Wednesday, June 10th to respond or alternate will be chosen. Winner must live within San Diego county.

UPDATE: Congratulations to Debbie and Valerie! Hansen’s will give soda to both of you!

*Read all the Hansen’s contest details and the official rules here.

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A new exhibit opens today at the San Diego Zoo. The 7.5-acre Elephant Odyssey focuses on conservation. There are interactive features, like a fossil dig for kids, as well as life-sized replicas of prehistoric animals.

“Elephant Odyssey will be the largest, multi-species habitat in the San Diego Zoo’s history,” said John Dunlap, San Diego Zoo director. “This exhibit will incorporate fun, hands-on elements for San Diego Zoo guests, while also showcasing important conservation milestones. The animals will benefit from innovative habitats that provide enrichment and interactions with other animals or visitors.”

Ribbon cutting ceremonies took place yesterday morning with a VIP party last night. The exhibit opens to the public today. Visit the Elephant Odyssey website to meet the elephants and for more information.

**UPDATE 5/26 The exhibit is amazing and the party was so much fun! Read event recaps at A Day in My Life, San Diego Momma, Juggling Life, Mel, A Dramatic Mommy and Happy Healthy Hip Parenting.

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Head to Michael’s Arts and Crafts this week to have the kids create something special and handmade for that special Auntie, Grandma, or Mom in his/her life! They choose the craft and day to come, you purchase the indicated item, attend the event at your local Michael’s Store and you get to use all their supplies like scissors, adhesive, etc! I might be (ahem) sending my husband out this week with the kids! Below is a sample event (check Michaels.com for more events in your area!).

Inexpensive Mother's Day gift ideas!

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National Mom’s Nite out is the brainchild of Maria Bailey. Maria is an author, radio show hosts and founder of BSM Media. She had the idea to host a national “celebration of motherhood” on May 7th to connect moms physically and virtually. There are two events happening in San Diego, one in Encinitas and the other in Seaport Village.

Stacey Ross of SanDiegoBargainMama.com is co-hosting along with Friends With Class at Facelogic Spa in Encinitas. Read the details of her event and RSVP here.

I am co-hosting with Debbie Anderson of SanDiegoMomma.com an event at Buster’s Beach House & Longboard Bar in Seaport Village. Read the details here.

We hope you can make it to one of the events!

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I love entering contests. I spend way too much time taking quizzes and surveys, playing games for instant wins and following Twitter links to blog contests.

Most of the time I strike out but I have been pretty lucky the last few months. Earlier this year, I followed a link from the Carlsbadistan website to a pretty cool giveaway. A new company out of Carlsbad needed help with voting in a small business contest for Wired Magazine. Anyone who voted for Rob and Erik’s Live SpeakR system was entered to win. The grand prize? An iPod Touch and their new speaker system. Helping a local startup and a great prize? Count me in!

While I didn’t win the grand prize, I did win the runner up prize of a leather case for my iPod Touch. When I replied to the winner email I mentioned that I’m in Carlsbad too, I have a blog and would love to review their speakers and they agreed. I’ve been test driving the system for awhile now and I love it!

When I bought my iPod Touch last year, I started looking for a small portable speaker system. I wanted to put it in the kitchen so I could listen to my iTunes music, the radio (via a radio app) or podcasts while cooking or cleaning and not have to wear the headphones. I was going to buy one of the docking speaker systems like the iHome but the Live SpeakR’s changed my mind.

Live SpeakR’s are made specifically for the iPhone, iPod Classic and iPod Touch. They are portable, light and small enough to store in a kitchen or office drawer. I’ve used them in our home office and my kitchen and they take up hardly any room on the desk or countertop. The system comes with a USB cable, rechargeable battery, carrying case and a wall charger.

While the speakers are not powerful enough for a huge party they are perfect for a small get together. They sound great too. Erik told me that the quality of your MP3 file will really affect how the speakers sound. I definitely noticed a difference between some of my files. The songs sound fine on my iPod, but amplified by the speakers there’s a crackly-ness to them.

I’ve used the Live SpeakR out on my deck with my morning coffee, in the shower (I was in the shower, not the speakers, that would be silly), driving in the car and I took them to my hair salon to watch a movie while I was in the chair.

The Live SpeakR systems are now shipping. Ordering is through the company website. The speakers normally sell for $99.99 but right now they’re $85! If your Mom, Grandma or any other mom you know is a gadget freak and likes having the latest things before everyone else this is the perfect gift.  You can order as late as May 7th for Mother’s Day but will need to choose overnight shipping.

Erik and Rob are working on other colors for the system and possibly a version for the Blackberry. Follow them on Twitter at LiveSpeakR.

(I posted a video review on my blog if you’d like to hear the LiveSpeakR’s play Johnnie Lang and Seal).

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