If you are a reader of this blog, you are probably aware that a couple months ago, my husband finished his radiology residency in Omaha Nebraska and we moved across the country to Scottsdale, AZ for him to do a Fellowship at the Mayo Clinic. We will be here is this desert paradise for only one year so we have determined to make the most of it!

One thing that was really exciting for me and the kids is the fact that we are a mere 6 hour drive from one of my favorite places int he world-Disneyland! So, we planned a couple trips there, and after doing the math, we determined that buying annual passes was less money than multiple 3-Day passes. Once we had the annual passes we decided we better use them and we have plans to go there when the kids are off school. Luckily for us, The kids have a full week for fall break here in October so we will be spending that week in Southern California.

Knowing we would be there, my mom was so excited to find a whole packet in her newspaper from http://www.sandiego.org/ that announced "The First Annual Kids Free in San Diego this October! WOW!!! It is pretty awesome and I want to share some of the deals in there with you:



From the ad in the Salt Lake Newspaper my mom sent me:

First, Places with free Kids Admission in October:

• Sea World: kids' admission as well as premium experiences like Dine with Shamu, Dolphin Interaction Program, and Beluga Interaction Program are Free of charge when accompanied by a paying adult.
• San Diego Zoo & San Diego Zoo Safari Park: Kids 11 and under get in for free
• LEGOLAND California Resort and SEALIFE Carlsbad Aquarium: Kids admission free with a paid adult (For this deal go to LEGOLAND.com/KidsGoFree
• Surf Diva: Kids ages 5-12 can catch their first wave for free with the help of this surf school

Here are some places where kids eat free in October in San Diego:

• Croce's Restaurant, Gaslamp Quarter
• Hard Rock Cafe, Gaslamp Quarter
• John's Incredible Pizza Co., South Bay
• Vigilucci's Ristorante, Coronado

Also, in October the San Diego Museum Council partnered with 34 museums to offer FREE admission to children 12 and under who attend with a paying adult. Here are some of them:

• Birch Aquarium at Scripps
• California Surf Museum
• Lu Art Institute
• Museum of Contemporary Art
• Museum of Photographic Arts
• Reuben H Fleet Science Center
• San Diego Air and Space Museum
• San Diego Museum of Art
• San Diego Museum of Man
• San Diego Natural History Museum
• The New Children's Museum
• USS Midway Museum

For details on the above mentioned deals, and for more great October deals in San Diego, see the http://www.sandiego.org/ website here.

And don't miss this great article on 25 Fun and Free things to do In San Diego.

I think we will be spending a day or two in San Diego when we go to Disney in October.

I got the chance to review a great new online game geared to kids ages 6-12 called Time Island. Before I tell you about it and what we thought, I have to tell you that the real joy of this is that the actual game is FREE and that is awesome! The giveaway is fun, but only one of you can win it, ALL of you can get your kids online to play this SWEET FREE game!!
What is it?

According to them:

Time Island is a place of wonder and adventure. Your kids will love putting their survival skills to the test as they explore white beaches and lush jungles; tree-top terraces and dark underground caverns. They will use their wits to outsmart, out maneuver and outlast the troublesome green creatures that inhabit the island, known as the Goggs. Surviving on Time Island is a challenge, but the fun is even greater! Moms will feel comfortable with the safe and secure nature of the online world and the educational aspect of the activities, while kids will love embarking on the adventure of a lifetime!

What did we think?

Like I mentioned, this is geared toward 6-12 year old kids, but we are all having fun wiht this game...dare I admit that I have been playing it occasionally when the kids are in bed?! AND my 5-year-old loves it as well as my 7 and 8 year old. Here is what they had to say:

Salsa (8 yr old girl): "I think Time Island is super fun! I can't think of a favorite part because I love the whole thing, the shops, the outdoor games, and the Goggs-everything!!"

E-Dawg (7 yr old boy): "It was a creative game for kids to have to find food and stuff to survive and the games trying to chase the Goggs away were awesome!!"

Sugar Pup (5 yr old boy): "It was great and I hope my brother and sister stop hogging turns so I can play more."

There you have it from the mouths of babes! :)

What's the Deal?

The deal is that you and your kids can also enjoy this fun virtual world of survival by making a profile/character on the Time Island website here. It is a blast and I would love to hear what you think of it!

What Can You win?

I was given a Time Island goodie bag for my kiddos and their friends. You can also win one here. To try to make entering my giveaways a bit easier I am trying a new thing called Rafflecopter-just use the form below to enter. Let me know if you have trouble entering on it so I can help out!!





Disclosure: This post was written for MomSelect and Time Island who provided the information, product(s) and giveaway in exchange for my honest opinions. I did not receive any monetary compensation. All opinions and thoughts expressed in this post are mine (ok-mine and my kids in this case).