Fashion. Music. Family. Life.
In the blink of an eye, the renovations at Poway Valley Center have made some incredible progress! Along with the top picture, this is the blog post from just three months ago here. Compare them to the pictures below that my sister snapped this weekend. What a difference a few months make!
All photos by Rholnna Jiao
The day is finally here: DEPECHE MODE’S “GLOBAL SPIRIT TOUR” AT MATTRESS FIRM AMPHITHEATRE!
I believe the show is sold out, but there are verified tickets still available on Live Nation. I have the Live Nation app and I’m taking advantage of the “Fast Lane” Upgrade, since I have lawn tickets. This will allow me, my sister and our kids to get some prime real estate at the front of the lawn area next to the railing.
Keep up with me on my Instagram for all of my concert coverage and I’ve created a separate section here on my blog of all of my Depeche Mode posts!
Cheers!
So much is happening at the LEGOLAND® California Resort in Carlsbad that I had to get my sister and photographer, Rholnna, to help capture it all. Along with Brick or Treat (more information in a future post), here’s the lowdown on what’s happening at LEGOLAND® !
THE LEGO® NINJAGO® MOVIE LEGO NINJAGO Days
To celebrate the new LEGO® NINJAGO® MOVIE , you can Join your favorite ninjas – Lloyd, Jay, Kai, Cole, Zane and Nya – by tapping into YOUR inner Ninja at LEGOLAND Parks LEGOLAND Discovery Centers!
(Click the picture above for more details)
The LEGO® NINJAGO® Days Schedule
LEGOLAND Parks
LEGOLAND California Resort (Carlsbad, Calif.): Sept. 23-24
LEGOLAND Discovery Center Dates
Arizona: 9/23-9/24, 9/30-10/1,10/7-10/8
Atlanta 10/7-10/9, 10/13-10/15
Boston 9/23-9/24, 9/30-10/1
Chicago 9/22-9/24, 9/30-10/1
Dallas 9/22-9/23, 9/29-10/1, 10/7-10/8
Kansas City 9/23-9/24, 9/30-10/1, 10/7-10/8
Michigan 9/23-9/24, 9/30-10/1
Philadelphia 9/22-9/24, 9/29-10/1
Westchester (Yonkers, N.Y.): 9/22-9/24, 9/29-10/1
CASTLE HOTEL PROGRESS
Earlier this year, Rholnna attended the ground breaking of the new Castle Hotel at LEGOLAND® . She recently attended the press conference for what’s upcoming in 2018, so below is a combination of pictures from the ground breaking event back in January and the progress so far!
January 2017
September 2017
LEGO® City Deep Sea Adventure
At the press conference this month, the LEGO® City Deep Sea Adventure was introduced and Rholnna captured a few pictures announcing this exciting new upcoming ride!
“LEGOLAND® California Resort’s General Manager Peter Ronchetti announced at today’s press conference that 2018 will be a year of enormous growth! In January, a new 4-D movie launches, followed by the opening of LEGOLAND® Castle Hotel in the spring and, just announced, LEGO® City Deep Sea Adventure submarine ride is opening in the summer! LEGO® City Deep Sea Adventure is Merlin Entertainment’s single largest investment in any LEGOLAND® Park and will take passengers aboard a real submarine where they will be submerged underwater and immersed in an ocean habitat.”
(All photos from the Castle Hotel ground breaking and press conference taken by Rholnna Jiao)
At the beginning of August, I attended a fun event by Vocabulary Boutique. It was a shopping event, with a capsule wardrobe curated by Conni of Art In The Find and Kali of In Spades along with boutique owner, Cecelia, who also celebrated the boutique’s 8th anniversary. It truly was a unique event because although I have attended a few of their events in the past on location at the boutique, this one was on an Aolani Catamaran where we sipped, snacked and shopped while sailing the San Diego Bay!
This cake was as delicious as it was beautiful!
A pretty cocktail next to a cute mini-folding chair (I had to take a picture for perspective)
I had a fun time shopping on board, and I’ll share the new earrings I bought in a blog post!
Sharing sunshine and smiles with Kali (photo courtesy of Jenna of Lucky Little Mustardseed)
With Allison of Fashion Week San Diego, Jenna, Kali and Conni (photos courtesy of Kali and Jenna)
Not long after Comic-Con, Dominic and I attended a truly one-of-a-kind event: Mark Hamill’s street sign dedication! I heard about the event on KUSI News because news anchor Lisa Remillard mentioned she would be hosting the event. It was a hot day, which made it a tad bit rough on Dominic, but he stuck it out like a (Storm) trooper and we witnessed a cool bit of Star Wars history. For those of you who are wondering, “Why San Diego?” Mark Hamill spent some of his childhood in the Clairemont area, where the street sign is located.
We originally had a strange vantage point because we decided to grab some lunch nearby, which meant had lost some prime real estate where we would have had a better view. As a result, we had to stand in an awkward place behind the media staging area. Luckily for us, my cousin Regi and her son Riley had been in attendance and we moved closer to the action right near the actual stage. I’ve included a couple of videos below, which was Mark Hamill’s speech, the unveiling of the honorary street sign and declaration of July 30, 2017 as “Mark Hamill Day”.
May The Force be With You and Cheers!
Clockwise from the left: Me, Regi, Riley & Dominic
Each year, whether or not we actually get tickets to go inside, we visit the phenomenon that takes over Downtown San Diego: Comic-Con International. Here are a few images from this year. Highlights: Meeting Funko Pop founder, Mike Becker, who autographed our Rosie The Robot set and videos from the NBC exhibit one of my new favorite shows, Midnight Texas. Enjoy!
Mike Becker, founder of Funko Pop!
Midnight Texas
Back in March, my sister and I had a wonderful lunch at Bongiorno’s New York Pizzeria at Poway Valley Center (original post here). If you’ve been by there lately, there are some exciting changes happening, with completion planned for this fall. Although updates are underway, all of the businesses are open during renovations! My sister took these pictures this week, and even stopped by and picked up her favorites at Bongiorno’s. We have also made plans to come back and try out Don Pollo, and then get our nails done at Glaze Complete Nail Care.
So if you’re in the area, come on in and visit Poway Valley Center because they are definitely open for business!
Cheers!
All photos by Rholnna Jiao
Have you read Ready Player One by Ernest Cline yet? I’m obsessed with everything RP1 because although it’s set in the near future, it heavily features the nostalgia of the 1980’s (not to mention, the audio book is narrated by Wil Wheaton). In the book, I imagine that the OASIS game creator James Halliday’s collection of video game consoles and arcade games would have looked exactly like this new exhibition at Balboa Park’s Fleet Science Center, GAME MASTERS: The Exhibition. I first heard about this exhibition on Good Morning San Diego on KUSI News from none other than Brad Perry. After seeing just the arcade game portion of the segment, I knew I had to take the kids to see it. I actually finished RP1 after I visited this fantastic exhibition, and I’m so glad I did because I learned so much about the game designers that I recognized exactly who Ernest Cline was referring to in many instances, including when he mentions Dave Theurer, creator of my all time favorite arcade game, Tempest.
GAME MASTERS is separated into three sections. It starts off with “Arcade Heroes” showcasing arcade games from my childhood. The “Game Changers” section features games and consoles that took video game playing to the next level. Finally “Indies” highlights current games very familiar to my son and niece, like Angry Birds and of course, Minecraft.
Video game aficionados and fans of RP1 should definitely take advantage of visiting this amazing exhibition. GAME MASTERS was developed by ACMI (Australian Centre for the Moving Image) and is open now through January 15, 2018. Information about the Fleet Science Center, including hours and admission can be found here.
Cheers!
ACRADE HEROES
Mei-Lin attempting to play Space Invaders
My husband showing Dominic how it’s done! (Playing Elevator Action)
There, in front of me, at the base of this long pillar of light, stood an old coin-operated arcade game. I recognized its distinctive, angular cabinet immediately. Tempest. Atari. 1980.
– Parzival, Ready Player One
Your’s truly and Mei getting on the board!
GAME CHANGERS
Dominic playing SIMS
Mei-Lin…concentrating
INDIES
Playing Angry Birds on a touch-screen TV
Having fun with Castle Crashers
Not your typical game of “Air Hockey”
The only other game I’m actually good at: PaRappa the Rapper
One of their all-time favorites: MINECRAFT
FTC Disclosure: I received complementary passes to enjoy Game Masters: The Exhibition at The Fleet Science Center. Although I did receive complementary passes, the opinions in this post are strictly my own.
It’s getting hot here in San Diego, and what better way than to cool off at LEGOLAND’S® Water Park in Carlsbad! A couple of months ago, my sister and I got to spend the day there with the kids to kick off their “Splash Out To Summer”. In addition to the festivities, we also got to see behind the scenes during the construction of their newest attraction, Surfers’ Cove. We captured all of the fun we had that day, and I’ll be sure to post when Surfers’ Cove officially opens!
A very early morning at LEGOLAND®!
(This image courtesy of LEGOLAND®)
While I stayed with the kids at the Water Park, my sister got to tour the area where Surfers’ Cove was being built.
This area is near where the entrance would be to Surfers’ Cove and the blue platform area will become the Surfers’ Ride. There will also be a Beach Street Taco stand, and we got the chance to sample what will be offered. Pictured below is a delicious fish taco!
A fun little gift pack; I’m excited to finally have a waterproof carrier for my phone!
(Most pictures taken by Rholnna Jiao & Cy Chen, unless otherwise noted)
The beginning of June also signals an annual family tradition: The San Diego County Fair! This year’s theme is “Where The West Is Fun”, but isn’t a fair always fun? The sights, the sounds, the smells of The San Diego County Fair all let you know the start of the summer is here and it all just takes me back to when I attended the fair with my sister and parents, known as The Del Mar Fair when I was younger. Now, my husband and I take Dominic every year because I want him to also grow up with the same wonderful memories of The San Diego County Fair. We attended The Fair recently, and you still have time to enjoy all that The Fair has to offer. It runs from June 2 to July 4, and all ticket information can be found here. A way to save and get the best “bang for your buck” at The Fair would be to buy the “Passport to Savings” coupon book (either at The Fair or online), sponsored by Albertsons and Vons. It’s only $5 and comes with a free San Diego County Fair admission return ticket ($18 value), plus one of the coupons is for a free Souvenir Cup with purchase from one of the food vendors, Fresh Pretzels. The cup is refillable throughout the time of the fair, which is only $2.60 each refill! We buy it every year because it’s filled with amazing savings at vendors all over The Fair, but hang on to it because the savings can be extended to outside The Fair to places like 7-Eleven, Broken Yolk and California Sock Company!
Cheers and happy trails!
THINGS TO DO & THINGS TO BUY
The Garden Show
The O’Brien Stage
There is plenty of entertainment at The Fair at various stages throughout the fairgrounds. A full schedule of the remaining entertainment can be found here:
Entertainment at The San Diego County Fair
Bing Crosby Hall
The Bing Crosby Hall is one of several exhibition halls, perfect for shopping for those uncommon goods!
I’ve always wanted a nesting doll, and now I have one thanks to Russian Souvenirs!
My newest pin and Dominic’s newest spinner
THE FUN ZONE
Dominic’s absolute favorite ride, hands down. My husband and son ride it every year!
THE FOOD!
All Dominic wanted was the waffle from Chicken Charlie’s, but Deon and I opted to use the Fresh Pretzels coupon to get some fabulous food and a souvenir cup!
Of course I would buy a dessert involving cheesecake dipped in batter and fried!
The last bite of the day: Bacon wrapped deep fried jalapeno poppers!
Dominic ending the day with the frog he won at The Fun Zone and a final drink from our refillable Souvenir Cup
Thank you San Diego County Fair for another wonderful season! Until next year!
FTC Disclosure: I received complementary media passes to enjoy the San Diego County Fair. Although I did receive complementary passes, the opinions in this post are strictly my own.