You are here: Home / 2018 / Archives for August 2018

Archives for August 2018

Summer Beauty Must-Haves from Sally Hansen!

August 7, 2018 By Leave a Comment

Summertime is a great time for bright colorful nails (and also pastels!) and Sally Hansen has you covered! I love their New Salon Neon because they’re bright, colorful and fun! It makes nail art easy to do at home! This innovative and effective technology takes neon’s to a new level of bright with glow in the dark technology. With the Textual Feeling appliques, you have the unique ability to customize your look! I like the bright colorful words and they are super easy to apply to your nails! Retails for $7.99.

My favorite nail polish is the Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure because you simply don’t need to use a top coat and I love the shades! My favorites for the Summer are the shades pictured above: (left to right): Back to the Fuchsia, Jaded, and Material Pearl. You can find these where Sally Hansen products are sold!

Self Disclosure: I received free samples to facilitate this beauty post. Images: Salon Neon-Sally Hansen. Other images: SoCal City Kids.

Filed Under: Beauty and Fashion, Beauty and Fashion Corner

Don’t Miss Del Amo Fashion Center’s Second to Last Summer Concert of 2018!

August 7, 2018 By Leave a Comment

Del Amo Fashion Center invites the community to enjoy four concerts of mixed genres for the inaugural Summer Music Series at Torrance’s leading shopping and lifestyle destination.

The Summer Music Series showcases the new Village Park lawn area, just outside AMC Theaters, with a variety of musical genres on the second Saturday of the month in June, July, August and September from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.

The Summer Music Series collection of performances is fine tuned to feature a diverse music styles by local artists from Greater Los Angeles. Guests will enjoy sounds from incredible artists such as Natalie Clark,selected as a Mercedes Benz KTLA “Artist to Watch,” also seen on the most recent season of the Voice. Other artists bring alternative, singer-songwriter and pop music to the Summer Music Series.

“Music is a meaningful way to form connections, and we love that the Summer Music Series encourages our community to linger and enjoy unique experiences with us,” said Del Amo Fashion Center Director of Marketing and Business Development Chris Yates. “Grab your friends and family, bring a blanket and pick-up some food from our selection of top-notch eateries for an afternoon of sunshine and music.”

The complete list of artists and performances includes:

  • Saturday, June 9 – Professional Folk (past)
  • Saturday, July 14 – Natalie Clark (past)
  • Saturday, August 11 – Michael Physick & Band
  • Saturday, September 8 – Lisa Ritchie

Credit:

Del Amo Fashion Center embodies the upscale and outdoor lifestyle of the Torrance community with amenities and events such as the Summer Music Series, making it a leading lifestyle destination. Enjoy leisure time in the new and beautiful Village Park at Del Amo Fashion Center with a pristine lawn and gorgeous garden landscaping.

About Del Amo Fashion Center

Embrace the coastal chic lifestyle at Del Amo Fashion Center, the South Bay’s premier retail destination. Accented by an abundance of natural lighting, exquisite architecture, living green walls, gorgeous palm trees and a new Fashion Wing, Del Amo Fashion Center is a favorite in Southern California. Visit more than 200 stores including South Bay exclusives such as Brooks Brothers, Kate Spade New York, HUGO BOSS, Hanna Andersson and Z Gallerie. The center’s department stores include Nordstrom, Macy’s, Macy’s Men & Home, JCPenney and Sears. Experience the charm of the Outdoor Village with an array of retail and dining options. Other featured retailers include Michael Kors, Calvin Klein, Arhaus, Brio Coastal Bar, Kiehl’s Since 1851, Lululemon Athletica, Sephora, UNIQLO, Zara, and more. For more information, visit www.simon.com/mall/del-amo-fashion-center.

 

About Simon

Simon is a global leader in retail real estate ownership, management and development and a S&P100 company (Simon Property Group, NYSE:SPG). Our industry-leading retail properties and investments across North America, Europe and Asia provide shopping experiences for millions of consumers every day and generate billions in annual retail sales. For more information, visit simon.com.

Filed Under: SoCal City Kids News

Laguna Beach Festival of Arts Junior Art Award Ceremony Sunday, August 12th

August 6, 2018 By Leave a Comment

A jury made up of Mark Porterfield, Steve Chadma, Emma Patton, Pat Sparkuhl and Stephanie Cunningham selected 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners from the more than 300 Orange County students’ work of art on display in the Festival’s Junior Art Exhibit.
Since its inception in 1947, the Junior Art Exhibit has come to be regarded as one of the highlights of the summer show. Selected by art authorities from thousands of submissions representing schools throughout Orange County, works by over 300 students (PK-12) are on display in the Junior Art Gallery. The exhibit has become not only a showcase for new generations of young Orange County student artists but also a vivid testimonial to the value and importance of continuing arts education in our school systems.
WHEN: 
Sunday, August 12
11 am  – 12noon
WHERE:
Festival of Arts Fine Art Show
650 Laguna Canyon Road, Laguna Beach, CA 92651
TICKETS
  • Festival of Arts Fine Art Show tickets will grant free admission to the Junior Art Award Ceremony
    • Purchase tickets online at www.LagunaFestivalofArts.org
    • General Admission: Weekends $15
    • Students & Seniors: Weekends $11
    • Children 6 – 12: Daily $5
    • Free Admission for Children 5 and under, Military, and Laguna Beach Residents.

Credit:

ABOUT FESTIVAL OF ARTS
The Festival of Arts, a non-profit 501(c)(3), has always been a local leader that has helped with the growth and development of the community and the arts in Laguna Beach. Established in 1932, the Festival of Arts’ mission is to promote, produce and sponsor events and activities that encourage the appreciation, study and performance of the arts. For every summer for 85 years, the Festival of Arts has produced two world-class events: The Festival of Arts Fine Art Show and the Pageant of the Masters. Together both shows attract more than 250,000 visitors into Laguna Beach.

 

SPONSORS
The Festival of Arts and Pageant of the Masters are sponsored in part by Southern California Acura Dealers, Fidelity Investments, KOST Radio 103.5, Pavilions and the Ritz-Carlton Laguna Niguel.

Filed Under: SoCal City Kids News

Alisa Knows What to Do: Season 1 – Action Packed Star Wars Like Universe With Thrills Around Every Corner

August 6, 2018 By Leave a Comment

Alisa Knows What to Do! is based on the extremely popular Russian science-fiction novels by famous Russian author Kir Bulychiov about a young girl from the future, Alisa Salazar. This animated series weaves a tale about the adventures of a group of teenagers living at the end of the 21st century. The world has changed yet the burning questions that occupied people at the beginning of the century are still pertinent today. Alisa and her friends not only battle evil and injustice but they are also concerned with global problems like the natural balance, both on the planet and in space.

Alisa Knows What to Do: Season 1

By Sahiba Kaur, KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, Age 16

Alisa Knows What to Do: Season 1, directed by Olga Baulina, is an action packed, Star Wars like universe where thrills are around every corner! Each episode seems as if I am watching a movie, with high depths of emotion, mystery, humor, and untold tales. The animation is realistic in some aspects yet surreal in others forming the futuristic universe of a myriad of planets and species.

The story follows a group of five teenagers who can’t seem to escape trouble, in or out of school. When their daily actions lead them to trouble or Alisa becomes entangled in one of her father’s scientific cases, they work together to solve the case in front of them. Through a series of hysterical events and intense scenes, each teenager’s unique personality plays a role in their exciting victory.

The animation is a combination of a variety of elements because of its realistic yet science fictional story. On Earth, the humans are life-like with their facial features but their hair and outfits are an original, special addition to the teenagers. The city has skyscrapers with soft and circular edges forming distinctive spires. However, these obscure features are contrasted with the familiar bushes and trees decorating the streets. Each episode also consists of a journey to a different planet. On these journeys the clips of space are the most naturalistic, with beautiful hues of all different colors and millions of stars decorating the night like glitter. Once they land on the planet, any familiarity with our world today diminishes and a new surprising and imaginative world is created. These were my favorite parts of the shows because even though there is a world like ours, there are a variety of other ones in this episode which are fascinating and captivating to watch.

Although the story and animation are original and engaging aspects, the dialogue and jokes can be cliché at times which takes away from the story. However, there are an abundance of humorous scenes and dialogue which made me smile and relate to these characters.

The messages of Alisa Knows What to Do: Season 1 are countless but some of the most pertinent are to being different is wonderful, and teamwork can help you in any situation. I give this show 4 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 5 to 12. Be sure to check out Alisa Knows What to Do: Season 1 on DVD June 13, 2018.

Alisa Knows What to Do: Season 1

By Denise B., KIDS FIRST! Adult Juror

https://youtu.be/j_DffUGkd5o

Based on the Russian science fiction novels by well-known Russian author Kir Bulychiov, this is the story of a young teen form the future (end of the 21st century) and her group of friends. The characters are quite unique with their brightly colored outfits, hairstyles and personalities. Kids will enjoy watching them in their adventures. The group of teens goes on adventures, solving mysteries and battling evil. The animated series is fun and futuristic and, even has moments of edge of your seat excitement! I really like that this series is not only fun to watch, but also teaches about global problems of today. The group of friends is very concerned with global problems on the planet and in space. I give this 4.5 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 7 thru 14. This will be a hit with kids this summer and has over 10 hours of fun that will entertain them.

Credit: KIDS FIRST!

Filed Under: Media Reviews

World Elephant Day Returns @ The Los Angeles Zoo August 11-12!

August 6, 2018 By Leave a Comment

Photo Credit: Jamie Pham.

The L.A. Zoo is commemorating World Elephant Day (August 12) – an international spotlight on Asian and African elephants that spreads awareness of the urgent threat of their extinction – with a full weekend of opportunities for exploration, discovery, and fun on Saturday, August 11 and Sunday, August 12, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The Zoo’s World Elephant Day Celebration highlights the state-of-the-art Elephants of Asia habitat, with chances to learn about its four elephant residents and how they are cared for, through educational activities and exclusive behind-the-scenes barn tours, which are available to the public just once per year.

Activities Include:

Barn tours led by elephant care staff and volunteers from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Education stations illustrating how elephants use their dexterous trunks; the differences between Asian and African elephants; and the art and science of elephant enrichment.
A “conservation craft” station, where youngsters can make a pocket-sized elephant of their own using recycled materials
The chance to meet young author and conservation advocate Erin Chang, author of children’s book Seven Toes
All activities are free with paid Zoo admission or membership.

Program subject to change without notice.

WHEN
Saturday and Sunday, August 11 – 12, 2018, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Barn tours conclude at 3 p.m.

WHERE
Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical Gardens, 5333 Zoo Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90027

The L.A. Zoo is located in Griffith Park at the junction of the Ventura (134) and Golden State (5) freeways.

COST
All activities are free with paid Zoo admission, which is $21 for general admission (ages 13 to 61); $18 for seniors (ages 62+), and $16 for children (ages 2 to 12). No ticket is required for children under age two. Admission for Greater Los Angeles Zoo Association members is free. Free parking is available.

INFO
https://www.lazoo.org/worldelephantday/

Credit:

L.A. ZOO
The landmark Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical Gardens, drawing 1.8 million visitors each year, is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), whose members meet rigorous professional standards for animal welfare and has achieved renown as an international leader in the preservation of endangered species and a conservation center for the care and study of wildlife.

Filed Under: SoCal City Kids News

Today is National Root Beer Float Day! Celebrate Family Night with an A&W Root Beer Float!

August 6, 2018 By Leave a Comment

    

Summer is going by so quickly! It’s already August and I am so not ready for it to end! Luckily, we still have summer days and nights to enjoy before it’s time for back-to-school! This is such a great time to enjoy all the family time before it’s the more hectic back=to-school time!   In honor of National Root Beer Float Day today (August 6),A&W wants to help celebrate family night with a quintessential summer treat: Root Beer Floats!

Yes, today is National Root Beer Float Day and what better way to celebrate than by making a Root Beer Float! A&W has always been my favorite brand of Root Beer so of course, it would be my top pick! Here’s their awesome recipe  A&W’s Original Root Beer Float.

When my son was younger we used to celebrate Family Nights by having a weekly Movie Night and those were always special nights an I have such good memories of making popcorn, root beer floats and watching movies. We also would have board game nights when my son loved to play Monopoly. Years go by and activities have changed but I still have such special memories of those times. We still have awesome family nights but now they consist of having a bonfire and hanging out. But, one thing hasn’t changed…we still love Root Beer Floats! A&W Root Beer has a long history of creating family memories. I think it is the one soft drink that my family all loves! A&W Root Beer helps create the perfect timeless family night treat: an A&W Root Beer Float! It’s a great addition to family pizza nights too!  For “float how-tos” and recipe inspiration visit, www.rootbeer.com.

   

Check out A&W on Instagram!

Self Disclosure: The product, information, and gift card have been provided by A&W so that I could try the product and share my thoughts and information about A&W Root Beer. The opinions expressed in this post are my own and do not reflect the opinions of A&W.

Filed Under: Featured Products of the Week

Eight O’Clock Coffee Introduces The Great Coffee Break: A Digital Escape Room Game People Can Play to Win a Year of Free Groceries

August 5, 2018 By Leave a Comment

Eight O’Clock Coffee, America’s original gourmet coffee, today announces the release of The Great Coffee Break: a digital escape room game that people can play for the chance to win a year of free groceries! The Great Coffee Break is the first Augmented Reality-triggered digital game designed by Escape the Room and can be launched by scanning any Eight O’Clock Coffee package with the Shazam app – or by going directly to GreatCoffeeBreak.com. Set in a fictitious animated roastery, players will solve coffee-themed puzzles to help bags of Eight O’Clock “escape the roastery.” The Great Coffee Break will run from June 17 through August 11, 2018, and eight people will win the grand prize: free groceries for a year.*

Since 1859, generations of Americans have been connecting over Eight O’Clock – enjoying rich, smooth coffee as they share conversations, celebrate special moments, and play games together. The Great Coffee Break will provide consumers with a new way to experience their love of coffee and gaming by leveraging the escape room trend that has grown exponentially in recent years.

Players of the Great Coffee Break will explore different virtual rooms within the roastery to find clues, solve puzzles, and complete the mission. Eight O’Clock Coffee’s game is designed to facilitate the satisfying feeling of discovery that players experience in physical escape rooms – which may be the reason that they have grown in the US from 22 in 2014 to about 2,300 today.

“With the Great Coffee Break, we are tapping into one of the hottest emerging trends in a way that is meaningful to coffee drinkers and relevant to today’s lifestyle,” said Michael Scalera, Senior Brand Manager at Eight O’Clock Coffee. “Our fans tell us all the time that enjoying Eight O’Clock Coffee is key to their day – and it’s certainly key to solving the Great Coffee Break. Plus, while people are ‘escaping the room’ they’ll have a chance to escape their grocery bill for a year.”

“Eight O’Clock Coffee has long provided a meaningful way to bring people together, as does Escape the Room – so putting our brands together was a natural fit,” said Victor Blake, Founder and CEO, Escape the Room. “Bringing both of these experiences to life virtually in a way that makes sense for a solo player was my primary inspiration for The Great Coffee Break game. I’m thrilled with how the game turned out, and I think people will really enjoy playing…hopefully with a cup of Eight O’Clock in their hand.”

Scalera adds, “The Great Coffee Break is a game, not a true reflection of the process at our roasting facility in Landover, MD. We have to keep some secrets, after all.”

The Great Coffee Break promotion runs from June 17, 2018 through August 11, 2018 and was conceived and executed by The S3 Agency in Boonton, NJ. The game is being supported by in-store and digital advertising, social media, and public relations outreach.

To play the Great Coffee Break and for complete rules and details, go to www.GreatCoffeeBreak.com.

*Each Grand Prize of is a year of free groceries, defined as $8,000 awarded in the form of a check. No purchase is necessary to enter. Open to legal residents of the 50 United States or D.C., age 18 or older.

I received a sample of their coffee and love the rich smooth taste! 

To learn more about Eight O’Clock Coffee, visit www.eightoclock.com. For more information about Escape the Room, visit EscapeTheRoom.com.

About Eight O’Clock Coffee

An American family tradition since 1859, Eight O’Clock Coffee joined the Tata Global Beverages family of brands in 2006. This beloved brand with whole bean coffee heritage has been brewed with passion for over 150 years and remains a top five brand in the U.S. coffee segment today. Eight O’Clock has a full range of varieties, medium to dark roasts, single origin and indulgent flavors, available in whole bean, ground and single-serve forms. Eight O’Clock Coffee’s Center of Excellence sources its high-quality Arabica beans from the world’s best origins; the beans are then expertly blended, roasted and packaged at the brand’s facility in Landover, MD.  Headquartered in Montvale, NJ, Eight O’Clock Coffee extends the reach of Tata Global Beverages with its national distribution at leading U.S. retail customers.  According to Nielsen Homescan, the brand continues to rank highest in consumer loyalty and repeat among packaged coffee buyers, which is further validated with 4+ star product review scores.  A true original, Eight O’Clock has crafted a coffee legacy by delivering consistent quality, great taste and value.  For more information about America’s original gourmet coffee, please visit www.eightoclock.com and follow us at www.facebook.com/eightoclockcoffee.

About Escape the Room

Starting with one game played in New York City in October of 2013, Escape the Room has grown into what is now known as the premiere live game and entertainment company in the United States. Developed by an all-star team of puzzle designers, theme park engineers and set designers, Escape the Room creates interactive, immersive games rooted in hyper-realistic scenarios with state of the art technology that sets the bar for experiential entertainment. With dozens of “rooms” in multiple cities across the country, including Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Detroit, Houston, Milwaukee, New York, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Scottsdale, St. Louis, and Washington, DC, Escape the Room brings gaming into the real world. For more information, visit www.escapetheroom.com.

Self Disclosure: Information was provided to post. I did receive a sample to post but no other compensation was received. SoCal City KIds is not affiliated with the promotion. Image: SoCal City Kids. 

Filed Under: Featured Products of the Week

Planning a Family Skiing Trip

August 3, 2018 By Leave a Comment

Southern California has its very own world-class ski resorts including Bear Mountain, Snow Summit, and Mountain High, all based in the San Bernadino Mountains. Further north the Sierra Nevada Mountains are home to the most popular resorts in the state, including Lake Tahoe’s Sugar Bowl, Heavenly, and Kirkwood slopes. That’s a fair old selection of snowy destinations all within state lines, but North America as a whole has another eight hundred resorts to choose from! If you’re thinking about going on a skiing trip, trying the sport out near where you live is a sensible plan, but don’t forget there is a whole continent full of opportunities out there for you to explore.

Family-friendly resorts

If you’re going on vacation with the kids, you want to make sure that your chosen location is suitable for children and has the facilities and experienced tuition they will need. Being stuck in the middle of nowhere with nothing to do as a storm batters your ski lodge is no fun for kids, so you want to be close to local amenities and have alternative forms of entertainment available in case the weather prevents you getting out on the slopes. Whistler Blackcomb in British Columbia, Deer Valley in Utah and Jackson’s Hole in Wyoming are all highly rated as being ideal for families and beginner skiers. For example, if you book a stay in one of the Whistler Village rentals, you’ll have a widescreen TV and Internet access, as well as being close to a range of stores, restaurants and entertainment venues.

Getting started on the slopes

Even if you are an experienced skier or snowboarder yourself, it’s best to book some lessons for your kids to get them started. Trying to teach them yourself is like trying to teach your own kids to drive – you’re both likely to find the experience frustrating and unrewarding. If you book the kids in for some professional lessons, they will learn more quickly, and you can enjoy a few hours each day exploring the slopes for yourself while they’re being taught. Until you know how enthusiastic your kids are going to be about becoming regular skiers or snowboarders, it’s not worth investing in specialist equipment for them like skis, boards, and boots. You can hire all the items you need very easily at your resort, and as long as you get them expertly fitted, they should be comfortable enough to get going with. What you do need to get before you go is some good warm, waterproof clothes for the kids, as it’s no fun being cold and wet when you’re out in freezing temperatures.

Skiing and snowboarding are ideal pastimes for families, as you can all enjoy being together doing something you love and sharing an exhilarating experience. It’s also a lot of fun snuggling up in your lodge in the evenings, having hot cocoa and marshmallows in front of a roaring fire. With the number of resorts available across the country, a family skiing trip should be at the top of your vacation list.

Filed Under: SoCal City Kids News
« Previous Page
Next Page »