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Koda, April 29th Pet of the week!

April 28, 2021 By Leave a Comment

Huskies are noted for their escape artistry, and Koda seems to be no exception. Koda was brought in to the shelter as a stray, and he’s now ready to be someone’s pet forever. He can be a little shy at first, but once he’s out of the kennel and senses good times, he’s energetic and active. He’s just a year old and is neutered. Adoptions are conducted through appointment, so call 562-570-PETS or email PetAdopt@longbeach.gov to meet Kratos. Ask for ID#A6557.

(This rescue encouraged by the usual suspects.)

Filed Under: Featured Content, Pet Corner

Celebrate Earth Day with The Aquarium of the Pacific

April 6, 2021 By Leave a Comment
Photo courtesy of the Aquarium of the Pacific

Looking for ways to celebrate Earth Day and take action? The Aquarium of the Pacific is launching an Earth Day poetry contest, a virtual festival, and offers other ways to get involved in supporting ocean conservation from volunteering to Aquarium memberships. “Everyone can help protect this ocean planet that we all depend on and call home. We hope people will learn simple things they can do to make Earth Day every day,” said Emily Yam, senior manager of education at the Aquarium of the Pacific.

You can learn what you can do to help protect our planet at the Aquarium of the Pacific’s twenty-first annual Earth Day Celebration, which will be held as a virtual event. Experience animal meet and greets from your home. Explore our ocean planet through poetry. Learn everyday tips to protect our environment. Hear about the work that the Aquarium is doing to help protect animals and the environment. Everyone is invited to tune into this free virtual celebration. You can follow the Aquarium on Facebook @AquariumofthePacific and enable notifications so you don’t miss this free virtual celebration.

As part of its Virtual Earth Day Celebration, the Aquarium is hosting a poetry contest with the theme ‘celebrating our ocean planet’. People of all ages are invited to review contest guidelines and submit their poems on the Aquarium’s Earth Day Poetry Contest page by April 9, 2021. The top three finalists will be featured during the virtual festival on Saturday, April 24, 2021.

Those looking to support the Aquarium’s ocean conservation efforts can do so by becoming an Aquarium member, making reservations to visit, donating, or volunteering. Starting on Earth Day, the Aquarium is inviting the public to participate in an ongoing cleanup initiative through its newest community science program called T.R.A.S.H. The Aquarium also invites the public to take part in its local sea turtle monitoring project to help this threatened population of green sea turtles.

WHEN:  Virtual Earth Day Festival: Saturday, April 24, 2021, 10:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. Pacific Day Time

WHERE: aquariumofpacific.org/events/info/earth_day_celebration/ and the Aquarium’s Facebook page @AquariumofthePacific

How to view the virtual festival:

On Saturday, April 24, the public can visit the Virtual Earth Day Festival webpage to watch the live streaming event. The schedule will be posted on the webpage, along with links to social media outlets that will also stream the event live.

COST: Free, virtual event 

RSVP: No RSVPs are required for this virtual festival

INFO: (562) 590-3100 or visit aquariumofpacific.org/events/info/earth_day_celebration/

AQUARIUM: The nonprofit Aquarium of the Pacific is a community gathering place where diverse cultures and the arts are celebrated and where important challenges facing our planet are explored by scientists, policymakers, and stakeholders in search of sustainable solutions. The Aquarium is dedicated to conserving and building nature and nature’s services by building the interactions between and among peoples. Home to more than 12,000 animals, Aquarium exhibits include Shark Lagoon, the June Keyes Penguin Habitat, Lorikeet Forest, and the Molina Animal Care Center. Beyond its animal exhibits, the Aquarium offers educational programs for people of all ages, including lectures by leading scientists, through its Online Academy. The Aquarium offers memberships with unlimited FREE admission for 12 months and other special benefits. To make a donation to help support the Aquarium during the pandemic, please visit Pacific.to/donate.

Credit: The Aquarium of the Pacific.

Filed Under: Featured Content, Featured Events

The Greater Los Angeles Zoo Association Launches Walk For The Wild On Earth Day – April 22nd

April 2, 2021 By Leave a Comment
Photo Credit: The Los Angeles Zoo.

The Greater Los Angeles Zoo Association (GLAZA) is launching its first-ever fitness fundraiser—Walk for the Wild—on Earth Day, April 22, to raise critical funds to support the Los Angeles Zoo and its species-saving work. From April 22 through Endangered Species Day on May 21, participants will take a virtual walk “around the world” to explore the global conservation impact of the L.A. Zoo and learn about efforts to save threatened species. Participants will be rewarded throughout the journey with digital fitness and fundraising badges, exclusive content, plus rewards based on fundraising level. Join individually or as a team and participate in a little friendly competition to win prizes. Proceeds benefit the Los Angeles Zoo and GLAZA, the nonprofit organization that supports the Zoo and plays a central role in making its vital conservation work possible. Registration begins on March 9, with registration levels that include a commemorative T-shirt and medal. To learn more and to register, visit www.lazoo.org/walkforthewild.  

“Because it’s easy for anyone to participate, Walk for the Wild encourages the entire Los Angeles community to engage in a lifelong philanthropic relationship with the L.A. Zoo’s wildlife conservation mission, from schoolchildren to grandparents. Whoever you are, you can save species from extinction and be a conservation hero,” says GLAZA President Tom Jacobson.  

From now through May 21, participants can register and create a fundraising page, set fitness goals, get moving, and make an impact on wildlife conservation. Leading up to the virtual Opening Ceremony on Earth Day, there will be fun weekly challenges that will prepare and inspire participants for the walk and help them meet their fitness and fundraising goals. Starting on April 22, participants choose when and where to walk (or bike, run, swim, dance etc.), tracking their real-world movement on an integrated virtual map to eight global destinations, including Paraguay, South Africa, and India among others, and receive special content at each stop. Participants’ goal is to walk a collective 14,000 miles across the globe to raise awareness and funds for work to save endangered species. The event concludes on May 21 at 11:59 p.m. The winners of the Largest Team, Top Individual and Team Fundraising and Longest Distance awards will be announced on May 22, as well as the total amount raised by this incredible global fitness adventure. 

Walk for the Wild is open to the public, and participants of all abilities are encouraged to participate in the activity of their choosing – any physical movement will propel them towards their fitness goal. Fundraising rewards start at the $150 level (inclusive of registration fee) and include a plush toys and Walk for the Wild branded merchandise. To get inspired and to learn more on how to participate, please visit www.lazoo.org/walkforthewild. 

Credit: The Los Angeles Zoo.

Filed Under: Featured Content, Featured Events

Rubio’s Adds Impossible Meat for 2021

January 12, 2021 By Leave a Comment
Unique Mexican Spice Blend Creates New Experience for Rubio’s Customers

The new year brings a new addition to the menu at Rubio’s Coastal Grill. Beginning January 6, the home of The Original Fish Taco® will offer Impossible™ seasoned meat, made from plants. Rubio’s guests seeking to eat less meat as part of their new year’s resolutions can enjoy it in a new Impossible™ Taco Salad, or as a protein substitute on all chicken and steak entrées. Impossible meat is more sustainable, using a small fraction of land, water and energy, when compared to 80/20 ground beef.

 “We are using a signature blend of Mexican spices unique to Rubio’s in our Impossible Foods menu items,” said Rubio’s Co-Founder Ralph Rubio. “It pairs perfectly with our coastal-inspired flavors and expands our protein options that guests can feel great about eating.”

The Impossible seasoned meat has all the protein of 80/20 ground beef, does not contain animal hormones or antibiotics, is kosher, halal and gluten-free certified. Rubio’s is featuring the innovative Impossible meat in a new taco salad and two signature dishes:

·                Impossible™ Taco Salad: Impossible seasoned ground meat made from plants, romaine lettuce, black beans, roasted corn, salsa fresca, tortilla strips, sliced Haas avocado and signature pickled jalapeno ranch dressing.

·                Impossible™ Burrito Especial: Impossibleseasoned ground meat made from plants, handmade guacamole, chipotle white sauce, roasted chipotle salsa, citrus rice, black beans and salsa fresca in a warm flour tortilla. Served with tortilla chips.

·                Impossible™ California Bowl: Impossible seasoned ground meat made from plants, citrus rice, handmade guacamole, black beans, crisp romaine lettuce, salsa fresca, chipotle white sauce with your choice of salsa verde or roasted chipotle salsa.

About Rubio’s® Restaurants:

Rubio’s first opened in 1983, in the San Diego neighborhood of Mission Bay. Today, Rubio’s uses responsibly sourced seafood and continues to expand its menu with innovative recipes ranging from seafood tacos and burritos to California Bowls and crisp, fresh salads. In addition, Rubio’s offers all-natural chicken, raised without antibiotics, and all-natural USDA Choice steak, “no fried” pinto beans, handmade guacamole, a variety of proprietary salsas, and craft beer beverage options. The award-winning restaurant regularly receives accolades for its famous Original Fish Taco®. It was also recently ranked as one of Fast Casual’s “Top 50 Movers and Shakers” as well as one of the top five most loved fast casual chains ranked by Foodable Labs and Digital CoCo. Rubio’s is headquartered in Carlsbad, Calif., and currently operates restaurants in California, Arizona and Nevada.

Self Disclosure: I received some form of compensation to post. Photo credit: Rubio’s.

Filed Under: Featured Content, Featured Services

Holiday gift Idea exclusively at Target! Inklings will be a hit with your little one!

December 13, 2020 By Leave a Comment

Inklings are a new line of plush toys and book gift pack that are designed to excite children’s imaginations and teach them about diversity and acceptance.  Each Inklings Baby doll contains pops of color and has a rattle belly and crinkly crunchy features.  The accompanying board book, which transforms from black and white to brilliant color, tells the story of a bored baby who imagines a new best friend for “as long as you have your imagination, you’re never really alone.”  This stunning gift set which includes a plush toy + book  in-store and online for $19.99. I received samples and I just love how adorable they are! My favorite is Ollie the Oddball Bird! She’s too cute and babies and toddlers will love her!

Find out more at www.inklingsbaby.com.

Self Disclosure: I received free samples. Photo Credit: SoCal City Kids.

Filed Under: Featured Content, Featured Products of the Week

More Holiday Gift Suggestions!

December 5, 2020 By Leave a Comment

Here are some more of our favorite gift suggestions for the holidays!

Looking for a great gift idea for the little ones on your list? Here are a few of our favorites!

Shape Sorter Xylophone and Piano:

Toddlers will be able to sort shapes while making wonderful music with the Shape Shorter Xylophone and Piano from Hape! This colorful xylophone and piano encourages children to discover color and shape assortment while creating musical notes with every puzzle piece. Children can match the five colorful puzzle pieces to their corresponding holes, by shape or color, and make wonderful Do, Re, Mi Fa, So melodies by pressing down or by tapping them with the red baton!

Age: 12 months + | MSRP: $17.99

Availability: starting in November

Retailer: Target

My First Block Set:

This 80-piece set of sturdy blocks will inspire hours of play and generations of builders!This colorful setencourages children to identify shapes and objects as they stack and build upon their imaginations. The child safe materials and non-toxic finishes are perfect for every little builder!

Age: 12 months + | MSRP: $16.99

Availability: starting in November

Retailer: Target exclusive

DOLCE Primo Kangaroo

This giant Kangaroo is perfect for cuddling! It comes with a bonus, baby Joey, in and additionally, the kangaroo pocket features a shaker egg. Featuring a peek-a-boo door on one of its feet and is also adorned with beads and a teether on its other foot. Dolce stands for Develop, Observe, Learn, Create, Educate. Let your baby DEVELOP sensory skills with a variety of quality textured fabrics. OBSERVE the colorful fabrics. LEARN cause and effect through the activities. CREATE fun, learning and role-play with your favorite Dolce friend. Let the beautiful, interesting and activity rich Dolce toys EDUCATE through play. MSRP: $39.99; ages 0m+

Stick-O Forest Friends 16Pc Set

Explore the great outdoors with The Stick-O Forest Friends 16Pc Set. Kids can use their imagination to build adorable animal friends including an elephant, duck, caterpillar, bunny and more. The Forest Friends 16Pc Set includes 3 Spheres, 3 Sticks, 2 Discs and other magnetic accessories including bunny ears, flowers, cones, flower pots, and elephant ears. MSRP $24.99; ages 18m+

Here are a couple great gift ideas for the older kids!

EXIT: The Game is a new series of party games for up to four players that offers a unique, unforgettable gaming experience. These games allow you to bring the excitement, intensity, and team spirit of an escape room to your living room. In each EXIT game, your team starts out locked in an imaginary room or trapped somewhere. You must solve a series of riddles and puzzles in order to unlock doors and reveal new riddles. Each correct solution brings you to another riddle and eventually to freedom. The clock is ticking: You must solve all of the puzzles as fast as you can because the faster your team escapes the room and the fewer hints you use along the way, the more points you earn. Get ready to test your creative problem solving and logical thinking skills, because the rulebook in an EXIT game doesn’t reveal all the rules like in other games. After the rulebook gets you started, it’s up to your team to discover for itself how the rooms look, what the clues are, how to decipher them, and how to escape. Can you crack the codes and manage to escape the room? EXIT: The Game is constantly expanding with new stories (Dead Man on the Orient Express, The Abandoned Cabin, The Forbidden Castle, The Forgotten Island, The Mysterious Museum, The Pharoah’s Tomb, The Polar Station, The Secret Lab, The Sinister Mansion, and The Sunken Treasure) RETAIL PRICE:$14.95 ◾ # OF PLAYERS: 1-4 ◾ SUGGESTED AGE:10 and up ◾ PLAYING TIME:1-2 hours.

Lost Cities: Rivals: Use your cards to venture down expedition routes that take you to far-flung and mysterious corners of the Earth: to an abandoned mountain temple, a decaying circle of stone, a city sunken under the sea, an ancient Stone-Age settlement, and a town inside of a mountain. Your goal is to plan the routes in such a way that they bring you the greatest possible fame. If you are especially daring, you will also be able to wager on the success of your own expeditions. But watch out: You are not the only one traveling! Which routes will you pursue and how much gold is it worth to you? Plan well and use your resources wisely. Only the player who has collected the most fame at the end of the game will be the winner. RETAIL PRICE: $14.95 ◾ # OF PLAYERS: 2-4 + ◾ SUGGESTED AGE:10 and up ◾ PLAYING TIME:40 minutes.

  Have a Bugs Bunny Fan on your shopping list? They will love this one! “Warner Bros. Home Entertainment provided me with a free copy of the Blu-ray I reviewed in this Blog Post. The opinions I share are my own.”

BUGS BUNNY 80TH ANNIVERSARY COLLECTION will surely be a hit!

Three-Disc Collection Features 60 Shorts Along with Bonus Content  Including 10 Episodes of Looney Tunes Cartoons,  A Documentary and Collectible Memorabilia  

This is an amazing collection and I love the bonus content! I also really like that it includes a FULL-SIZE GLITTER FUNKO FIGURE! Bugs Bunny 80th Anniversary Collection is available to own on Digital for $39.99 SRP in the US and $49.99 SRP in Canada FROM WARNER BROS. HOME ENTERTAINMENT.

Happy Holidays!

Stay tuned! Our final Gift suggestions post coming up next week!

Self Disclosure: I received free samples of the above items. No other compensation was received. Images were provided.

Filed Under: Featured Content, Featured Products of the Week

Holiday Gift Guide Suggestions #1!

November 25, 2020 By Leave a Comment

I can’t believe it’s that time of the year! Tomorrow is Thanksgiving and it’s time for the Holiday Gift Guide #1. Here are some of my favorite gift suggestions this season!

Little girls ages 6 and up will go gaga over these! GoGo Gachas brings the fashion and fun to toys with its fashionable accessories dispensed in every kawaii capsule! (Available Now at Target, MSRP: $9.99, Ages: 6+) These fashionably charmed vending machines really work! Each is loaded with 4 surprise charms that are totally on-trend. Just press the button to dispense one of the disco balls- then open it up to find out which fashion charm you gacha! Each charm is perfect for accessorizing on the included charm bracelet. Now you’re ready for a glam squad dance party! Collect all 3 machines! 

This next one…well…not sure if it should be wrapped up for Dad or for the kids! If you grew up in the 70’s (like I did!) you may remember Evel Knievel! I know my younger brother had one of these! This definitely is a retro throwback to my childhood days!

The father of extreme sports, the daredevil show man himself—the man, the myth, the legend, Evel Knievel has launched onto the toy scene again with the re-release of the iconic 1970’s Evel Knievel Stunt Cycle.

Imbued with all the charm and high-powered performance of the original, this reissue is ready to introduce the fun of revving, jumping, and crash landing to a whole new generation.  One of my favorite things is that its Low tech design does NOT require batteries, apps, or wifi access!

  • Comes with the Evel Knievel Stunt Cycle, signature Red Energizer, and Evel Knievel Action Figure
  • Retails for $39.95

It is definitely fun for all ages and he Evel Knievel Stunt Cycle can be purchased at www.evelknieveltoys.com as well as on Amazon and Walmart.

Looking for a unique gift suggestion this holiday season? MagicWeightedBlanket– The ultimate way to make kids feel cozy and safe is through a Magic Weighted Blanket that makes kids feel like they are getting a hug every time they use it. MagicWeightedBlanket.com is the world’s first and original weighted blanket. The company started way back in 1998 when weighted blankets were a novel concept. Since then, there have been plenty of companies who caught onto the popularity and benefits offered from weighted blankets, but none that compare to the original. Not only do weighted blankets reduce stress and anxiety, but many kids report  that they are able to sleep better with them. Starting at $110; https://magicweightedblanket.com/.   I love how comfy and cozy these are!

Chalk of the Town is a line of chalkboard products ranging from T-Shirt and Long Sleeve Kits to Tote Bags to Patches, allowing both kids and adults to create and design their own wearable fashion using Chalkboard markers. PLUS they’re both erasable and reusable so you can design again, again, and again! I love the creativity! Available on Amazon

Holiday Poppers – Hog Wild brings you your Holiday Poppers as part of its POPular Poppers line! This one will be a hit! Available on Amazon for $9.99.

Marshmallow Blaster – Bow & Mallow Blaster – The big brother of the Mini Bow & Mallow, the Bow & Mallow Blaster continues to bring food and fun together — thanks to its edible ammo! With launching distances of up to 30 feet, your marshmallows will soar through the air! Available on Amazon for $25.99.

The #UpsideDownChallenge Game – This game literally flips your world upside down! Players wear goggles that flip their vision — and then attempt to compete seemingly easy challenges like writing your name and connecting dots. Sounds easy, but it’s a challenge! Available on Target for $19.99.

Pizza Party Throwdown – In this frantic, fun action game players race to see who can fling the most pizza toppings on the spinning pizza pie game board before time runs out! Available on Target for $19.99.

DinoMazing Egg Decorator – DinoMazing Egg Decorator allows kids to color and create their own dinosaur eggs using a mechanism that spins the egg while you decorate! Plus, inside each Dino egg is slime and your own collectible dinosaur! Available on Amazon for $27.99.

Comic World Viona Surprise Set –  PLAYMOBIL is expanding the magical world of EverDreamerz with the new Comic World line!! We’re offering a BRAND NEW Surprise Set where you can search for twelve magical characters from Comic World!  Each mystery box has five surprises inside.  You might even meet Colorista, a new limited edition character! A perfect stocking stuffer. 🙂 Available on playmobil.us

Treemendous Ornament Decorating Kit – From the creators of the original EggMazing Egg Decorator…the perfect DIY craft to embrace the holiday season. Place one of the ornaments included with the kit into the tree-shaped decorator and let the fun begin! The machine holds and spins the ornament while the markers are used to create stripes, line and other designs! Available on Amazon for $19.99.

This next one is great for outdoor fun, especially during this pandemic! Pickup Sports have fun, sports boxes that include everything you and your kids need to learn a new sport. Starter boxes include age-appropriate equipment, access to weekly live virtual coaching with parent-child games, and expert-created curriculum based on years of research. When kids learn from their parents/caregivers they are more likely to have fun, want to keep playing, and more likely to stick with it and stay physically active. Available sports include basketball, flag football, soccer, tennis, baseball & softball, and volleyball. Starter boxes are currently priced at $45. The best part—for every box purchased, the company donates one to kids with limited access. More information: https://pickupsports.co/; also available on Amazon.   I love the Basketball one!


Storymakery is a one-stop-shop where kids can create a character, write a story, design illustrations, and print their book – a total hands-on, exciting, educational experience! In addition to customized in-store experiences at their Laguna Hills storefront, Storymakery also offers a captivating assortment of unique virtual workshops and private 1:1 virtual sessions that delight (and educate!) kids 5+ years old. 
For younger kiddos, Storymakery also offers personalized books that you can create online and ship to your loved ones – some of the titles include ‘My Mermaid Muse,’ ‘My Fairy Friend’ and ‘It’s A Pirate’s Life for Me!’
Gift cards can be purchased through their website.

Happy Holidays! Stay tuned! Next week Holiday Gift Guide #2 will post!

Self Disclosure: I received samples of the items above to facilitate this Holiday Gift Guide. Images were also provided.

Filed Under: Featured Content, Featured Products of the Week

Percy, Nov. 19th Pet of the Week!

November 17, 2020 By Leave a Comment

Percy’s plaintive little face may look sad, but trust us—it’s all a ploy! He knows that all he needs to do is to light up when someone walks into the room and ring out with a resounding purr worthy of his 15 pounds. Percy’s 5 years old and very loving toward humans—he could do very well without another animal in the house. Besides, with so much cat to love and to love you back, you wouldn’t need another pet! Because the shelter is closed to the public, adoption appointments are conducted through email, so contact PetAdopt@longbeach.gov to meet Percy. Ask for ID#A574845.

(This rescue encouraged by the usual suspects.)

Filed Under: Featured Content, Pet Corner
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