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Temecula Wine Country by Limo

November 11, 2018 by Laura Lohr Leave a Comment

We got a family picture with the backdrop of the vineyards. Such a beautiful view!

It’s wonderful when things come together just right and a plan comes together! Recently, we had an opportunity to ride in a party bus limo and it just so happened that Mr. Bear’s cousin was in town from Arizona. We had lunch and took the kids with us to Temecula Wine Country. It was a perfect day—the weather, the company, the limo bus, the service—everything was fantastic!

Our limo bus arrived promptly, ready to go!

We live near wine country in Temecula and we enjoy visiting the different wineries nearby. We often bring our out of town guests to some of our favorite wineries when they come to visit. We’ve gone for many reasons: birthdays, bachelorette parties, anniversaries, reunions, conferences, meetings, and just because. Temecula Wine Country has become a great place for weddings and we are becoming a tourist mecca, especially in the spring and fall, when our weather is just right. What was great about this visit, is we had someone to drive us to place to place. I usually end up being the driver, as I don’t drink, so it was particularly wonderful to be a passenger and really enjoy the company of family and friends.

Abbey and Allie had to check all the snacks and drinks. They got first pick of seating.

AalI In Limo and Party Bus picked us up at our house at 10:00 a.m. The limo driver had a few wineries in mind and Mr. Bear’s cousin, Deann, a wine connoisseur, had some ideas of her own.  Our first stop was lovely Bel Vino Winery. Allie brought a friend and one of Deann’s sons came with us. The kids and I enjoyed some snacks and sodas, while the Mr. Bear and Deann indulged in some wine tasting. We were able to take our time and enjoy each other’s company, at our own pace. Our driver was ready to take us to our next stop at our beck and call.

Our first stop was Bel Vino. We were the first ones to arrive! It was a quiet start to a very busy day!
A family photo! We all had a blast riding in the party bus!

Our next stop was De Anza del Sol. There is a great gift shop at De Anza del Sol and I love to shop there. Sweet DeAnn bought this lovely sign and it was such a nice gesture.

Isn’t it Be You Tiful?

We grab some salami, cheese, crackers, and fruit from the store, then found a shady place outside to enjoy our nosh. The kids played their video games and chit-chatted while we got to visit and relax in the fair weather. We took a leisure walk along the vineyards, before heading back to our comfortable coach.

 

Cheers! Mr. Bear and his cousin, DeAnn with their tasters. Mr. Bear chose white and DeAnn chose red.

The party bus was spacious and fully stocked with all we could need. We were able to charge our phones, in between stops and listen to our own music. The kids stretched out and continued to snack. We had ample room and our driver made sure all of our needs were met. He kept in communication with us. He was knowledgeable about the area and gave us suggestions that he felt would suit our needs.

Allie and I grabbed a selfie at Wiens. It’s such a beautiful place!
The kids hanging out. The adults had one side of the bus and the kids had the other.

Our last stop was DeAnn’s favorite, Wiens, where she is a member of the Wine of the Month Club. She was able to get her wine before she headed back to Arizona where she lives. She used to live in Orange County, California, so it was great to get together.

We love when DeAnn comes out and takes our family photos in wine country!

We hung out outside and enjoyed some music and more snacks! It was time to go and time went way too fast. Our limo wine county tour came to an end. Our driver took us back to our house and we enjoyed a little lunch at a local restaurant.

Filed Under: Reviews, Travel Tagged With: destination, family, Holidays, limo, limo bus, Temecula, Travel, wine country

Disney’s New Jungle Book

April 20, 2016 by Laura Lohr Leave a Comment

JungleBookPosterLast week, we got to see Disney’s New Jungle Book. I have to say that overall, I’m a skeptic about sequels and remakes of movies. It isn’t very often that my socks are knocked off for a remake of an animated classic. This movie, however, totally wowed me! I LOVED IT! First of all, the first rate cast was awesome! The CG animation was stunning! They really did a fantastic job breathing life into a classic movie, without taking away from the magic of the original!

thejunglebook5700520305349
The fearless crew stand up to Shere Khan

The cast of Jungle Book includes top-notch talent, such as Christopher Walken as King Louie. In Walken fashion, he adds a likable, yet creepy element to his character. I love Bill Murray and have been a fan of his for many, many years. He makes a perfect, lovable Baloo. What a terrific choice for Baloo! Scarlett Johansson’s character Kaa the snake is more dark than I remember from the original, but makes for a twist that only compliments the new version. Ben Kingsley velvety voice makes the beloved Bagheera as magical as he was in the original film.

KingLouieJungleBook
The massive King Louie summons Mowgli.

I hadn’t realized before that the Jungle Book is based on the book by Rudyard Kipling. The movie is directed by Jon Favereau and he really takes the audience on an amazing jungle adventure! Everything about this movie is visually stunning and will keep you on the edge of your seat, even if you’ve seen the animated original. There’s enough plot twists and turns that will keep you guessing what’s going to happen next. I love that there are recognizable themes and characters in the movie, however, there is freshness in this movie that keeps it very contemporary. You’ll be singing along with the familiar songs from the original, including, “The Bear Necessities,” and “I Wanna Be Like You.” In my opinion, no remake of the Jungle Book would be complete without Baloo belting out, “The Bear Necessities.”

Mowgli_Baloo_Jungle_Book

Mowgli_Bagherra
Mowgli and Bagherra traveling to get Mowgli to safety, away from Shere Khan.
Mowgli_Ka_Jungle_Book
Mowgli and Ka meet for the first time in the jungle

This movie does have some intense scenes and may not be appropriate for younger, more sensitive audiences. While there are no graphic scenes and without giving any spoilers away, there are some sad scenes. It was very appropriate for Allie, who is 10 years old. Mr. Bear, Allie, and I really enjoyed the movie and found it to be very suspenseful, charming, entertaining, and still honors the classic.

If you’re looking for a great family movie, this one aims to please!
Like THE JUNGLE BOOK on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DisneyJungleBook

Follow THE JUNGLE BOOK on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheJungleBook

Follow THE JUNGLE BOOK on Instagram: https://instagram.com/disneythejunglebook

Follow THE JUNGLE BOOK on Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/disneystudios/the-jungle-book/

Follow THE JUNGLE BOOK on Google+: https://plus.google.com/112416455929607370682/posts

Visit Walt Disney Pictures on Tumblr: http://disneystudios.tumblr.com/

Follow Walt Disney Pictures on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/DisneyMovieTrailers

Visit the official THE JUNGLE BOOK website here: http://movies.disney.com/the-jungle-book-2016

 

THE JUNGLE BOOK opens in theaters everywhere in 3D, RealD 3D, and IMAX 3D on April 15th!

Filed Under: Disney, Reviews Tagged With: Disney, Entertainment, family, Jungle Book, Movies

Taste of Temecula Valley Giveaway 5 Pairs of Tickets!

April 15, 2016 by Laura Lohr 10 Comments

TASTE OF TEMECULA VALLEY FUN FOR ALL AGES: The Bungee Tramp is an example of one of many attractions provided by TOTV sponsor Jolly Jumps to keep kids busy at the 6th annual Taste of Temecula Valley. Saturday is known as the family-friendly tasting day, with live entertainment, activities, and fun for all ages. Photo credit: The Photography Specialist, John Tobin
TASTE OF TEMECULA VALLEY FUN FOR ALL AGES: The Bungee Tramp is an example of one of many attractions provided by TOTV sponsor Jolly Jumps to keep kids busy at the 6th annual Taste of Temecula Valley. Saturday is known as the family-friendly tasting day, with live entertainment, activities, and fun for all ages. Photo credit: The Photography Specialist, John Tobin

I’ve got a really great opportunity to share with you! The 6th annual Taste of Temecula Valley event is coming to Old Town Temecula this month and I have FIVE pairs of tickets to give away to FIVE lucky winners! This year is the 6th annual Taste of Temecula Valley and you really won’t want to miss the food, the entertainment, and the fun! There’s plenty of food and libations for Taste of Temecula Valley patrons. We are, after all, well-situated in wine country and Temecula boasts many microbreweries and top-notch restaurants. You can take part in two days of music, entertainment, nosh, and thirst quenching, in this fun, local community event. The best part? This event supports the local schools in Temecula Valley, as it is put on by the ***Temecula Education Foundation, and all proceeds go back to our schools.

We have been in Temecula for about 9 months now and I have to brag about this little city! It took no time for me to get involved in the Temecula Valley community. It’s a really fantastic place to live! It’s family-oriented, there are so many sports the kiddos can get involved in, it is a safe place to live, it’s more affordable than many places in California, and we have enjoyed every moment! There is a small town feel here and there’s always fun and exciting things to do. Old Town Temecula has grown over the years and there are fantastic places to eat and great shopping, and it continues to improve every day, it seems. We’re going to attend the Taste of Temecula Valley on Saturday, with the kiddo and we cannot wait!

A Little Bit About the Event

©2015 TVFEE-TOTV and ThePhotographySpecialist.com
Pechanga Chefs: The 6th annual Taste of Temecula Valley is April 29-30. Among the festivities is a Friday-only VIP Concert & Dinner catered by chefs from Pechanga Resort & Casino, who are back for their second year. Sponsored by the nonprofit Temecula Education Foundation, the event raises funds for enrichment activities in local schools. Photo credit: The Photography Specialist, John Tobin

On Friday, April 29, from 6:00-10:00 p.m., a special VIP-only event, featuring a concert and dinner is available for a cost of $60 per person. The evening will include access to all 70+ booths, spotlighting Temecula’s best restaurants, wineries, and microbreweries. Additionally, entertainment will be provided by Golden Crown Productions. The evening line-up includes acoustic singer/songwriter Katelyn Marie and producer and Grammy Award- nominee Billy Alexander, as well as a Journey tribute band from Las Vegas, Another Journey. It’s sure to be a lively and entertaining evening!

TOTV 2015: The area’s best restaurants, wineries, breweries and specialty vendors will gather for the 6th annual Taste of Temecula Valley, April 29-30, in Old Town Temecula. The event is a fundraiser for the Temecula Education Foundation, a local nonprofit that raises funds to support student enrichment in the Temecula school district. Photo credit: The Photography Specialist, John Tobin
TOTV 2015: The area’s best restaurants, wineries, breweries and specialty vendors will gather for the 6th annual Taste of Temecula Valley, April 29-30, in Old Town Temecula. The event is a fundraiser for the Temecula Education Foundation, a local nonprofit that raises funds to support student enrichment in the Temecula school district. Photo credit: The Photography Specialist, John Tobin

From 11 a.m.-7 p.m. on Saturday, the fun continues for the entire family! It’s $10 admission for adults and children under 12 are FREE! Tickets for a taste and for additional activities will be sold at the gate for $2 a piece. It’s a great opportunity try something new and support the community! There will be fun activities available for kids of all ages—it’s fun for the whole family!

Some of this year’s booths will be hosted by Wiens Winery, Karl Strauss Brewery, Nothing Bundt Cakes, Blue Water Grill, Mt. Palomar Winery, PF Changs, Pechanga Casino and Resort, Devilicious, Ballast Point, Bushfire Grill, among many, many others!

Vendors interested in being involved in this year’s event can register online at http://tasteoftemeculavalley.com/. Vendors can contact Katan at markk8ten@aol.com, or 951-551-5352.

Community volunteers, including high school students, are needed.  Volunteers must register at http://tasteoftemeculavalley.com/.  Mandatory training sessions will be held Thursday, April 21, 6:30 -7:30 PM, or Saturday, April 23, 10 AM – 11 AM. One training session per volunteer is required.

Taste of Temecula Valley tickets will be available at www.temeculaeducationfoundation.org  or in person, at the gate.

***About Temecula Education Foundation (TEF):  An all-volunteer, 501(c) 3 nonprofit corporation, the Temecula Education Foundation, formerly the Temecula Valley Foundation for Excellence in Education, seeks to assist TVUSD schools by improving and enhancing educational opportunities for students in Grades K-12. The overall goal of the foundation is to support curriculum-enhancement and enrichment programs in the visual and performing arts and sciences.  TEF sponsors summer acceleration and enrichment programs and annual grants for educators. Since 2011, the Foundation has awarded over $100,000 in grants to TVUSD schools to support curriculum enrichment. Website: www.temeculaeducationfoundation.org.

Taste of Temecula Valley Give Away

Filed Under: Community, Temecula Tagged With: Community, Entertainment, family, local, Taste of Temecula Valley, Temecula

Legoland Ninjago Hard Hat Tour

April 6, 2016 by Laura Lohr Leave a Comment

Ninjago, opening May 2016!
Ninjago, opening May 2016!

I was recently invited to a “hard hat tour” at Legoland California before the grand opening of their newest ride, Ninjago. There are some really cool and exciting new things headed to Legoland this spring! The most exciting news? They’ve released the date for the grand opening of Ninjago!

Me Legoland

 

Ninjago Worksite

The official opening day of Ninjago is May 5, 2016! Woohoo!

Ninjago Press Conference

Ninjago is based on the very popular kids’ cartoon with the same namesake. The ride uses technology not ever used in the United States. It uses the latest technology and is sure to be a ride like anyone has seen before! Riders will train to become Ninjas, using some of the most advanced cutting edge technology by Triotech, called Maestro. Maestro is operated using hand gestures, rather than using a handheld gun to train and then battle like a ninja, while wracking up points throughout the quest.  This 4D experience will give riders the opportunity to throw fireballs, shockwaves, ice, and lightning.

Ninjago Press Conference

In addition to the exciting addition of Ninjago, Legoland has created an entire Ninjago World, complete with its very own Ninja kitchen. I was able to sample some of the tasty choices available in Ninjago World and I can vouch for its deliciousness! The Asian street inspired choices are some very healthy options, even featuring a tofu Bahn Mi for the vegetarian visitor. I tried both the chicken and pork Bahn Mi sandwiches and I have to say, it was true love!

Chicken_Pork_BahnMi

The chicken Bahn Mi sandwich was a spicy sandwich, with just the right amount of ginger and veggies to balance the spice. The pork Bahn Mi sandwich was tender and juicy, and while very flavorful, it was not as spicy as the chicken sandwich. The pork sandwich could be prepared on a Vietnamese baguette roll or a soft pita-sort-of-bread.  It’s definitely a repeat! Although, I’ll be hard pressed to figure out which to choose from!

There are several other additions to Ninjago World, including 22 NEW Lego models, built with over a million Lego bricks. What Legoland creation would be complete without thousands of Legos? There’s so much coming to Ninjago World and I’m so excited to bring my family to the grand opening!

Ninjago Press Conference

NINJAGO World is included in admission to LEGOLAND California Resort. For more information, log onto www.LEGOLAND.com or call (760) 918-LEGO (5346).

Keep up to date with all things Legoland:

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/legolandcalifornia

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/legoland_ca

Instagram: https://instagram.com/legolandcalifornia

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/legoland_ca/

Disclosure: I have the pleasure and honor of being a Legoland Insider this year, which means I get all the inside scoop about the happenings at Legoland. I was invited to Legoland for a hard hat tour and in exchange, I am posting my observations, opinions, and experiences. All opinions are mine.

Filed Under: Entertainment, Family, Reviews Tagged With: Entertainment, family, Grand Opening, Legoland, LegolandCA, Ninjago, Travel

Jr Hero Run #Giveaway

February 16, 2016 by Laura Lohr 8 Comments

Jr Hero RunIf you’re a follower of this blog or know me personally, you already know that I LOVE running! It’s a passion of mine and I’m always trying to get my family to love it as much as I do. I’m always trying to get my non-running friends and family involved in a local running event. I am especially partial to a few San Diego area races that are organized to give back to the community or donate proceeds to a noble charity. These are a few reasons why I fell in love with the Jr Hero Run and when I was contacted to promote the event, I was thrilled to be able to help in any way I can!

The Jr Hero Run is in its third year, this year. The mission of the Jr Hero Run is to raise money for the Make-A-Wish Foundation and to help them to grant more wishes. What a great cause! Can you imagine if we could grant the wish of every child? What a world! I love the Make-A-Wish Foundation for all they stand for, I love running, I love running with friends and family. Sign. Me. Up!

The Jr Hero Run is where kids and adults dress up as their favorite superheros and fend off villains with water guns and be a real heroes for the day, as they navigate the 2-3k course.

This is a lot more than just a run. As you make your way through the 2-3K course, you will need to courageously fend off villains with your water gun and recover a stolen coin from the villain fortress. Present the coin at the Hall of Justice and get awarded a finishing medal.

How totally cool, right? I can’t wait to do this one! Grab your cape and come on out to the Jr Hero Run near you!

More information about the Jr Hero Run can be found on the event website, Facebook, and Instagram.

I’m giving away a family four-pack of race entries for the Jr Hero Run, for any of the races of your choice. The following locations and dates for the Jr Hero Run:

Las Vegas 5/21

San Diego 6/18

Chino 8/6

Palos Verdes 8/13

You can also enter the giveaway below or  you can receive $5 off your race entry, simply by using the promo code: JHR2016 at check out. 

Jr_Hero_Run_Flyer
Click to enlarge.

Which location would you like to run the Jr Hero Run? Have you ever run the race before?

Jr Hero Run Family Fun Pack of 4 Race Entries

Disclaimer: I was offered race entries for my family, in exchange for promoting the event. Regardless, I love running and I love the Make-A-Wish Foundation and want the Jr Hero Run to be a success!

Filed Under: Running/Marathon Tagged With: family, Jr Hero Run, Make a Wish, running

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About Laura:

Wife, mom, runner, geek, lifestyle blogger, fitness badass, world traveler, social media lover. San Diego transplant, living in Temecula's wine country.

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