Popsicle Blog

5/21/20

Best Tips for Visiting the Niguel Botanical Preserve

If you are looking for a scenic, family friendly nature experience, then the Niguel Botanical Preserve in Laguna Niguel is a great place to check out. The Niguel Botanical Preserve is 18.2-acre of beauty, situated above the amphitheater within Crown Valley Community Park (which is a great park I might add). It displays garden-worthy plants appropriate to the Southern California region. All of these plants have been collected from five areas of the world with similar Mediterranean climates. I believe that this is one of the best botanical gardens in Orange County.

Information about the Niguel Botanical Preserve

Admission to the Niguel Botanical Preserve is FREE to the public and 365 days a year from sunrise to sunset. Our family went just before sunset and it was so nice. The weather had cooled down and there was still plenty of light to see the different varieties of plants and flowers.

To get to Niguel Botanical Preserve, you will want to park at Crown Valley Community Park. You can enter the preserve at multiple entrances. The easiest one to find is just above the Amphitheater. There is also an entrance at the west end, and the east end. Here is a map of the different areas of the preserve. I expect that you will find something you didn’t see before each time that you go.

While you are in the preserve, you can walk the trails and explore the different greenery. Most of the plants have markers to let you know what they are. There are also some informational boards throughout the reserve. I suggest you have the map handy, as there are no maps displayed within the preserve.

How to Enjoy the Niguel Botanical Preserve with Your Family

Here are some photos from our visit to the Niguel Botanical Preserve. There are so many trails and areas to explore that I might as well show you in pictures. There are also places with seating available to sit a relax along the way.

There are some areas of the garden that the kids enjoyed the most. This Garden Labyrinth was fun to learn about. We never knew that labyrinths are not meant to be tricky mazes, but as a way to meditate and find peace. Our whole family followed the labyrinth to the end!

Attached to the Garden Labyrinth, there is an area with this pretty gazebo. It’s located at the back of the preserve at the top of the hill. It looks like the perfect place to have a wedding although they don’t hold weddings at the Niguel Botanical Preserve at this time.

There is also a Children’s Garden at the Niguel Botanical Preserve which the kids had the most fun at. It’s located on the west side of the preserve at the bottom of the hill. It’s next to a beautiful rose garden that smells heavenly, and is flanked with royal blue arbors and topiaries. There is also a small little garden maze and butterfly artwork.

Wow! We spent almost two hours exploring. You could easily spend more, or less. There’s no amount of time that you must spend inside. It could be a short trip or a long trip depending on your schedule. We also isn’t see many people at all on our visit, so we felt like we had the whole place to ourselves.

I highly recommend a visit to Niguel Botanical Preserve! It makes a great adventure for all ages. The trails are very accessible, you can easily bring a stroller, and there are plenty of shade areas. If you want to bring a picnic, you can eat within the preserve or right outside in the park. As I mentioned before, the preserve is located next to the Crown Valley Community Park that has a terrific playground, splash pad, amphitheater, bike trails and sport areas. You could easily make a day out of your visit. Happy trails!

Posted by Jill | 5/21/20
Filed Under: Orange County

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4/20/20

Make a Neighborhood Safari for Earth Week

This is a sponsored post.

It’s Earth Week! 🌏 We are very excited to partner with National Geographic to celebrate Earth Week by having a “Neighborhood Safari” at home!⁣ National Geographic is encouraging families across the globe to bring the wonders of the wild world to their very own neighborhoods with an Earth Day Neighborhood Safari, as a way of staying connected with both nature and each other.

The kids and I had the best time creating this Jungle Safari in our front yard so that everyone in our neighborhood could enjoy it this week. We had more fun with this activity than we have had in weeks, we really needed this time to create together as a family. We used chalk to create a jungle map with fun obstacles through our front yard, complete with monkeys, elephants, tigers, snakes and crocodiles.

Also, during Earth Week (April 17-22), NatGeoathome.com is offering some extra special programs to inspire families to celebrate the planet from home. From engaging animal videos and DIY projects, to daily live talks from National Geographic Explorers, National Geographic has set up a virtual base camp to keep the spirit of exploration and adventure strong for kids. So make sure to check those out. I am sure we all could use a dose of animal cuteness. ⁣So make sure to head over to National Geographic to check it all out.

Our Jungle Safari Obstacle Course!

Here is a video of the kids going through our entire neighborhood “Jungle Safari Obstacle Course.” Isn’t it fun?!!!

How Did We Make Our Neighborhood Safari?

We started off by searching our house for any stuffed animals that would be seen in the jungle, and placed them around the Safari obstacle course. We found some tigers, and elephant, a crocodile pool toy and a lizard.

I loved making the moneys and jungle vines. We used fabric scraps for the vines. Just ripped the fabric into strips and tied it to a long piece of twine. I found a template for this monkey online. You might recognize it from the “Barrel of Moneys game.” I cut out a bunch of them from brown cardstock. They hung so perfectly from the vines…it was so cute!

Then we made these binoculars from paper towel rolls and construction paper. First we wrapped the colored paper around each of the rolls, and then we taped them together. We used a hole punch to make a hole on each side of the binoculars, and tied on soft twine for the neck strap.

Our next stop on the Jungle Safari Obstacle Course was an Elephant Ring Toss Game. We make the elephants from random boxes we’ve been collecting. The flaps were the ears, and we glued a cardboard tube on the front to make the elephant trunks. After that, we painted everything gray and added black eyes once dried. The rings were just made from crumpled up kraft paper.

Sidewalk chalk worked perfectly to map out the jungle safari course and make different sections to enjoy to different jungle scenes. Our main scenes were the monkey vines, the tiger area, elephant ring toss, snake hurdles, crocodile swamp and snack table.

For the snake hurdles, we used pool noodles. To make the zig zag design and the eyes, we used black electrical tape. We cute the noodles with scissors to create tapered tail and head, and glued a ribbon into the hole for the tongue.

We added fun elements to make our jungle obstacle course more exciting such as “RUN!” when you get to the crocodile.

At the end of the obstacle course, I wanted to add a jungle safari themed snack table for the kids to enjoy after all our hard work. I also added water and called it the “water hole.” The kids loved all the fun jungle themed snacks, which we ate all up. We did leave some bananas, oranges and water out for our neighbors to enjoy though!

Now it’s your turn! I’d love for you to join in and design your own safari stop with your own kiddies. You can create a jungle safari obstacle course like ours, or do your own take on a neighborhood safari – decorate your front door, garage door or cars, chalk your driveway, make a bird feeder, etc. If you need some resources, head over to NatGeoatHome.com. ⁣

And please encourage your friends and neighbors to do the same. Wouldn’t it be cool to have your whole neighborhood participate? And be on the lookout, Nat Geo will be creating a feed of “safari art” to help bring neighborhoods all over the world together during this moment of isolation. Make sure to tag your creations on Instagram with #NatGeoEarthDayAtHome.

Happy Earth Week!!!!
⁣

Posted by Jill | 4/20/20
Filed Under: Craft

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3/31/20

8 Tips to Up Your Spring Cleaning Game

This is a sponsored post.

There’s no better time than now to start your Spring Cleaning. The sun is finally peeking into our windows and the flowers are beginning to bloom outside. And if we are going to be spending time inside our homes, we want them to feel as fresh as the outdoors feel. So let’s get to work.

Besides organizing the drawers and cupboards, getting rid of excess junk, and cleaning the carpets, floors and baseboards, you are also going to want to deep clean everything. I also wanted to share with you a few things in your home that could use some spring cleaning that you may not of thought of. These Summit Brands products will clean everything your spring cleaning has missed. Check these out…

Get Your Whites Really Bright

Brighten and whiten your bedspreads, curtains, laundry and more with OUT® White Brite® Laundry Whitener. It can be used on all your whites and in your washing machine.

OUT® White Brite® Laundry Whitener brightens and removes what bleach and oxis can’t.
White Brite is safer than bleach! You can use it on white and colorfast fabrics, including delicates, and can safely be used in all washing machines.
It eliminates stubborn red clay/red dirt stains. Works great on white baseball pants, uniforms, and also reverses unfortunate color bleeds. WOW!

No One Likes a Stinky Washing Machine

Speaking of laundry, when was the last time you cleaned your washing machine? Glisten® Washer Magic Cleaner & Deodorizer will clean and disinfects even the hidden, vital and hard-to-reach areas in your washing machine. It is specially formulated to penetrate buildup and hard water impurities, removing them from water jets, tubes and pipes, while disinfecting against harmful bacteria. You can use it monthly to maintain a healthy and clean washing machine.

And good news, it’s safe and certified by the EPA and contains no bleach or chemicals that can harm fabrics. Plus, it will help extend the life and performance of your washing machine, effectively cleans door seals, detergent drawers and other hard-to-clean areas so you can feel good and happy when you are doing laundry.

Clean and Polish Your Cooktop

You know that grimy, gooey stuff that builds up on your oven and areas where you cook? Well it time to remove that gunk and freshen up an area that many people use everyday. NEW! Glisten® Cooktop & Kitchen Cleaning Pads make cleaning and polishing gas and electric ranges and cooktops super easy! Plus, you can also use them on ovens, range hoods, microwaves, small appliances, sinks, faucets and more. They are Dual Action Scrub & Shine pads…a single solution that does double duty. Each pad has an abrasive side for powerful cleaning to cut through grease and baked on food, and a soft cloth to polish leaving a shiny and streak-free surface.

Eliminate those Ugly Water Spots on Your Dishes and Silverware

There is nothing more annoying than washing your dishes in the dishwasher and having to unload a bunch of dishes with spots and film. Are they REALLY CLEAN? Glisten® Dishwasher Detergent Booster + Freshener can fix that problem. It’s multi-action formula is made with natural ingredients that leaves a fresh scent to your dishwasher and whole kitchen AND ALSO leaves your dishes sparkling clean. Works with your detergent during the main wash cycle to remove hard water spots and stains from dishes and glassware. Use it with every wash and you’ll see (and smell) such a difference. Yipee!

Have you Ever Deep Cleaned Your Dishwasher?

Lime, rust and can build up on dishwashers and diminish the performance of them. But Glisten® Dishwasher Magic® Machine Cleaner is here to help! It’s the #1 dishwasher cleaner and disinfectant AND the only one that is EPA-registered. It powerfully removes lime, rust, grease and other hard water buildup.

No More Dishwasher Smells

NEW! Glisten® Dishwasher Cleaner & Freshener. Works during your normal wash cycle to remove odor-causing build-up from your dishwasher and hidden areas. Use weekly (or as needed) to keep your dishwasher clean, deodorized and performing like new.

Eliminate a Stinky Garbage Disposal

Have you ever noticed a smell or those little flies coming out of your garbage disposal? If you are like me, then you feel super annoyed by this kitchen problem. Well, never fear…Glisten® Disposer Care® Freshener reaches deep to rinse away the toughest grunge and foul garbage disposal smells while freshening the entire kitchen. It’s natural ingredient formula is tested safe for use in all Disposer Care Freshener may be used daily or as needed to freshen and keep your disposal, drains and whole kitchen odor free.

Yes, You Should Deep Clean Your Garbage Disposal

If you’ve never done it, then it time. Deep clean that garbage disposal with Glisten® Disposer Care® Foaming Cleaner. Keep your sink clean and safe for all who use it. Glisten® Disposer Care® Foaming Cleaner is all-natural, safe, convenient and easy-to-use. It cleans and deodorizes your garbage disposal, safely and effectively. Its bleach-free formula and biodegradable packet cleans and scrubs the disposal blades, sidewalls, under the splash guard and other hidden areas, leaving the disposal, sink and whole kitchen fresh and smelling clean.

Now, I am sure that after reading about all these cleaning tips, you are going to want to get your Spring Cleaning started. All the products mentioned come from Summit Brands…and the best part is that they are EASY TO USE. They find what’s lurking inside—way inside—your home’s cleaning machines can affect the performance of your appliances and, more importantly, your family’s health. They also keep your machines running effectively that will save you money in the long run.

The Summit Brands Guarantee

Finally, if you are skeptical about trying any of the Summit Brand products….don’t be! All of them are tried and true. Summit Brands believes that you will like them so much that all of their products have a money–back guarantee. They promise that every product will meet or exceed your expectations or they will give you your money back. So what do you have to lose?!!!

Win $500 Of Cleaning Products!

Still not sure about the cleaning products I shared…or just want to win a bunch of them? Then enter the #HelloSummitBrands Spring Cleaning Sweepstakes! Summit Brands is giving away $500 in cleaning products, and all you have to do is enter here: summitbrands.com/giveaway/

Good luck, and happy spring cleaning! Your house is going to feel…and smell so fresh and clean.

Posted by Jill | 3/31/20
Filed Under: Tips

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3/15/20

Motivate Teens to Do Their Chores During the Covid-19 Outbreak

Need something to motivate your teens and tweens to get through the Covid-19 School Break? Because if your kids are anything like my kids, all they are going to want to do is play on their phones or game consoles.

Soooooo, here is what you do. Gather all the toilet paper in the house, and have them earn their daily supply! If they want to go number one or two, what are they going to do? Some chores of course. Make your bed, get a square. Finish your homework, get two squares. Will it work?….hmmmm, it’s really tempting. And I even made a FREE Printable Cover-19 Teen Chore Chart for you to download.

Okay, okay, okay. I’m kidding! Or am I not? I mean, is it really cruel to limit toilet paper to your kids? I heard its worth like more than gold these days.

Click here to Download you FREE Printable Covid-19 Teen Chore Chart.

And may all the strength and good parenting vibes be with you. I have a feeling we are all going to need it in the coming weeks.

Posted by Jill | 3/15/20
Filed Under: Printables

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2/23/20

You Can Now Watch Disney’s Frozen 2 at Home!

This post is sponsored by Disney’s Frozen 2.

Our hearts are melting because Walt Disney Animation Studios’ “Frozen 2” is now available on Digital in 4K Ultra HD™, HD and Movies Anywhere, and will be available on 4K Ultra HD™, Blu-ray™ and DVD on February 25th. And what is even more exciting is that “Frozen 2” will include some pretty awesome bonus features! It will include deleted scenes, deleted songs, Easter eggs, outtakes and a sing-along version with lyrics to the film’s forever-infectious songs. Disney sent over the Blu-Ray and some fun games to celebrate this exciting release. And of course, that meant we needed to have a family Frozen 2 movie night that included Frozen 2 games and karaoke!

So all the cousins came over dressed in Frozen attire to watch Frozen 2. We decorated the house with blue and white streamers and balloons, and pulled out the play snowballs from the Christmas boxes. They made it feel like we were in the snow! I also got some Frozen 2 party decorations for the cake area because it just happened to be grandma and aunties birthday.

To add more fun to our Frozen 2 movie night, we played some fun “Frozen 2” games. On February 22, all-new toys inspired by the film’s finale featuring Queen Anna and Elsa the Snow Queen will hit retail shelves in celebration of the in-home release. Check out what we played.

I would have to say the the Frozen 2 Snowflake Catch was the kids favorite, along with Frozen 2 themed UNO and Frozen 2 Bop It! We even got uncle to play.

As I mentioned before, the Frozen 2 movie release comes with some amazing boys features. Dani’s most favorite bonus is by far the sing-along version with lyrics to all the Frozen 2 songs. You can sing along to your favorite songs as you watch the entire movie.

Along with the games, we were also given a Frozen 2 Karaoke Machine which she has not stopped playing with since we got it.

Everyone had so much fun singing along, however, these two wouldn’t share the microphone with anyone else but themselves. Hee hee.

We finished the evening with cake, because we had some special birthdays to celebrate. I couldn’t have asked for a more perfect evening. Everyone had so much fun…thanks to Frozen 2!