The Ins and Outs of Legoland

We spent 2 fun-filled days at Legoland, CA. We purchased everything online, but for the ease of someone else who might look for this information on my wonderful blog, I'll explain it all--in "Stephanie Detail"

1. Parking--Not free. Shocker!  Regular was one price. Premium was higher. Obviously one week after going I can't remember the prices or I'd type them in. Premium meant nothing but walking a few rows less, so we opted for Regular--which was good, since that's what our Merlin Annual Pass actually got us.
2. Tickets--I don't remember the exact prices of the tickets, but I do remember that a 2nd day would be $25 extra per person and that our total for 2 glorious days at Legoland would have been around $470 for 2 adults and 2 kids!!!  We purchased the Merlin Annual Pass online before we got there, so we just had to go get our picture taken for our pass when we arrived and that was it.  Our pass got us the regular parking, 10% off shops, 10% off dining---and more, but since that's all we used I don't have a clue!  Our annual pass also earned us one free night at the Legoland Hotel so we're excited about that for the next visit...or the next...
3. Extras--You can pay extra to basically get a FAST Pass to the rides, but since we went the last weekend of January with no major holidays, it wasn't worth it. The longest we waited for anything was 10-15 minutes and a lot of things we'd skip one day and do the next in order to not wait.  There were games in every "Park Area" that cost extra and you could win carnival-style animals. We chose to tell our kids we had no money and left it at that.
4. APP--Download the Legoland APP and it was WAY EASIER than carrying around a huge map that you had to fold, refold, fold, etc. It also listed all the different rides, attractions, shopping, dining, entertainment, etc. in every "Park Area", so it was SO worth it!  It also gave you offers/notifications which was pretty neat. We got to build 6 mini-figures for $10 instead of just 3---that was totally worth it to me!
5. Food--our whole family enjoyed winding down each day with the Magic Swirl ice cream. Jeff even dubbed it "The Best Soft Serve Ice Cream Ever"--which is saying a lot since Dairy Queen is our favorite! Day 1 we ate at the BBQ restaurant at Castle Hill. Pricey but yummy. Every area has kid's meals for $9, which was definitely pricey, but you did get something they would eat, plus a fruit option (apple or raisins), chip option, and drink option (Honest Fruit Juice Pouches).  All of these were pretty much what I give my kids on a normal day, so we went ahead and splurged on the food for them.The fruit option was way better than the fry option because they'd never eat all the fries and could share ours instead. Then we could carry the fruit for later. Day 2 we ate at the Market in the Land of Adventure (I think). Hot dogs, hamburgers, and I had chili in a bread bowl. Not as great as Day 1, but it fed us!

This is all I can remember that might be important. I'll update this blog later if I remember more. Key word...IF!

"Best Soft Serve EVER!"--every flavor is swirled and has syrup inside the swirls!

Bennett's Beach Bash--First Birthday!!!

A year ago (ok...before B was even born!), I would have SWORN up and down that I would not have a big first birthday for my child because a) They wouldn't remember it, and b) I hate planning parties!  Well, let me just eat my words because of course we had a birthday party for Bennett!  How could we not???  (Just love how becoming a parent can change your mindset!)

We wanted to get/make Bennett a sand box as his bday present from us, so out of that came the idea that we'd have a beach bash so kids could play in the sand.  We have a pool, so it made it that much easier for this pathetic party planning mom!  The sand box soon turned into a place to bury pirate's coins and fill with cheap, plastic sand toys that barely made it through the day!  :)

Then of course, I had to find a birthday shirt to match the theme:

Then, I had to search Pinterest and anywhere else I could think of for cute, easy to make, cheap beach party ideas.  Here's what it came down to:

Buckets with goggles, snacks, and bubbles for favors.

My version of a banner--color printer is out of ink, so my handwriting was the next best thing at 9pm when I worked on decorations!

Aunt Danyah made some yummy cupcakes and I put them on spray painted platters on top of vases filled with bubble gum...mmm.....  I even made a few cupcake toppers with scrapbook supplies!  Thank goodness I saved stuff even though I mainly do digital scrapping now!

And of course...the guests!  My sisters were both in town at this time, so all the cousins first got together for the very first time at the party!  Jeff's sister/niece came in as well to love on the birthday boy and help us celebrate!  This was the year of the babies for my friends, and most of Bennett's gal-pals and buddies were able to make it!

Cake time!  Side note:  do not get the colors orange, green, and blue put together on icing that will be smashed.  It looked like baby poop when all was said and done!  But, B seemed to enjoy getting his hands dirty--and then promptly washed off!

Bennett--you have been such a joy to love this year!  We're so glad you made us parents and we are always amazed at how much fun it is to be with you and watch you grow!  What, oh what will you get into in your 2nd year of life???