Whether it is Spring Break or just needing something to break out of the ordinary routine, we share some of our favorite activities for the family.
TAKE A TOUR
Just up the coast, San Clemente is home to the headquarters and factory of Rainbow Sandals. Did you know they make 2 MILLION pairs of sandals a year? And you can watch the process, for free, in a behind-the-scenes tour. From the hides of leather, to the cutting, shaping and assembling, the whole process is still done by hand and still relatively family run.
The founder, Jay “Sparky” Longley experimented making sandals in his Laguna Beach garage in 1972 and with $200, he bought a sewing machine and some rubber and started his conquest: To make the world’s best sandal. Noe more than 45 years later, Rainbow® Sandals are still created by hand, and their fantastic reputation has grown Rainbow® to be the popular sandal they are today.
We had so much fun taking our family to see how these sandals are made. From the slabs or leather hides to cutting out the sizes, it was fascinating to see the process. Rainbow® uses specially formulated glue to keep the layers together and the straps in place and Sparky personally formulated the various densities of sponge rubber with “memory” to mold to individuals’ feet
One of the cool aspects about the tour is also learning the dedication to quality and their commitment to giving back. Plus at the factory you can get limited edition, or exclusive run sandals not sold anywhere else. So of course we all had to leave with new styles for the whole family!
Padres Baseball — Petco Ballpark Tour
Spring means baseball season! While one of our favorite things to do as a family is catch a ballgame. But did you know you can take your family into the dugout? You can sit where your favorite players sit and see what it would be like to step up to the plate and face the pitching foe. It’s all part of the Petco Park behind-the-scenes guided tour. You can discover “writer’s row” in the press box, learn about the historic Western Metal Supply Co. Building and check out the warning track. You’ll also get a chance to see the premium lounge and luxury suits as well as the Park at the Park and Sun Diego Beach.
It’s a walking tour so you’ll be getting exercise totaling just about 1.5 miles and about 80 minutes. Tickets are affordable for families ranging between $10 – $17. Tours are given on non-game days as well as game days, and if you do the Early Bird Tour you may even get to see batting practice. There are plenty of photo opportunities and even more lasting memories that will be made exploring the ballpark.
The Padres also try their best to craft deals to keep it affordable for families to come to a game. Petco Park offers complimentary admission to children under 36″ and on Friar Family Days, an adult ticket is $20 and a kid ticket is $15 and it includes a hot dog, soda, and family-friendly activities. And, like we mentioned above, this is offered every Sunday and Thursday. Here’s our post from Family Entourage’s visit to Friar Family Days. To find out more about these programs and activities go to Padres.com/Family.
SPLISH SPLASH STAYCATION
Taking a whole week off for spring break can be hard but Great Wolf Lodge is just a car ride away. One of the things that I loved about staying at Great Wolf Lodge is that they really want to create a space for families to connect and create memories. As a mom, I am just trying to make sure I pack everyone’s things for the trip. The last thing I want to do is have to figure out what to do when we get there. Thankfully, Great Wolf Lodge has plenty of activities in addition to the water park. Each season, they have themed activities for guests to enjoy. Here’s our post on How to Make Great Memories at Great Wolf Lodge.
All of the Spring-A-Palooza activities are complimentary for guests staying at the resort. Our favorite part of Spring-A-Palooza had to be the Bubble Dance Party. In addition the Bubble Dance Party and Tea Party, guests can also enjoy spring-themed crafts like Oliver’s Crazy About Bugs Jar, Violet’s Springtime Noodle Doodle, Brinley’s Don’t Blow Away Kite and Wiley’s Can You Spot It Binoculars. There is also a jelly bean guessing game where guests can guess how many jelly beans there are for a chance to win a Great Wolf Lodge gift card. And every night, guests can wear their pajamas for Spring-A-Palooza story time featuring a spring theme tale in the Grand Lobby.
FAMILY DINING
Celebrate spring in elegance downtown at the Easter Bunny Tea at the Westgate Hotel. The signature Parisian-style afternoon tea is served with a delicious selection of house-made sweet delicacies, yummy child-friendly petit-fours, savory tea sandwiches and pastries. All accompanied with a choice of freshly brewed fine teas and a special hop-in appearance from a fluffy guest.
Stay on, as the springtime cheer continues on the Riviera Terrace with an egg hunt extraordinaire and an enchanting magic performance featuring the Easter bunny.
MAKE A MEAL TOGETHER
From teenagers to toddlers, we know that pleasing everyone’s taste buds can be difficult. But one fun thing to do is to take a cooking or baking class together. It could be learning to make something new or trying a new spin on an old classic. Sur La Table offers a variety of cooking classes for date nights, children and teens. You can even get a group of friends together and try one out. We love the idea of a cooking class because it inspires us to try new cooking techniques and foods that we wouldn’t necessarily try on our own.
The classes rotate and range from grilling techniques to making pastries and everything in between.
BLOOM
Whether you get to visit the super bloom or Carlsbad flower fields, or just have lots of flowers in your backyard, you can make this simple DIY mason jar vase with your kids. It can be something fun to keep to display your flowers or give to someone to brighten their day. Simply take a mason jar, some acrylic paints and let the kids paint away. We created a marbleized look for ours and then added scrapbook stickers to put a little message on our vase.
LOOK THE PARTA
Whether you’re going behind-the-scenes at the ballpark, learning how sandals are made, enjoying an Easter tea, or spending the weekend at Great Wolf Lodge, looking the part is a fun way to express style and in Appaman your kids are always going to be feeling good.
From fine tailoring to casual, Appaman has the perfect collection for boys this Spring. Plus we love that the brand is inspired by, and named after, the childhood companion of the founder and designer. While growing up in Norway, he befriended a corduroy ape named Appaman. Together they traveled the fields and fjords of their native land, sharing many fantastic adventures. Appaman reflects the whimsical spirit of those youthful times and celebrates the unbreakable bond between a boy and his ape.
We were given items from Appaman, Rainbow Sandals, Westgate Hotel, Great Wolf Lodge, and Sur La Table. All of our thoughts and opinions are our own.
