Shakespeare by the Sea

Shakespeare by the Sea is a Southern California-based, non-profit organization, that performs the works of Shakespeare for local communities. FREE performances can be seen June - August in San Pedro, Beverly Hills, Carson, El Segundo, Glendale, Hermosa Beach, Laguna Niguel, Lomita, Malibu, Manhattan Beach, Newport Beach, Rancho Palos Verdes, Rossmoor, South Pasadena & Torrance. (Amazed that all this incredible culture is being offered for FREE? Thank Target... it's part of the Target Free program.) Pack a picnic basket, grab a blanket & don't forget the beach chairs, then check out the following list of dates, locations & play titles...

San Pedro: Point Fermin Park
807 Paseo del Mar, San Pedro, CA 90731
Thursday, Friday & Saturday nights at 8pm; pre-show starts at 7:30pm
As You Like It: June 11, 12, 13, 25, 27, July 3, 9, 11, & August 8
Love's Labour's Lost: June 18, 19, 20, 26, July2, 10, August 7

Laguna Niguel: Crown Valley Community Park
29751 Crown Valley Pkwy, Laguna Niguel, CA 92677
Love's Labour's Lost: Sunday, July 26, 7 pm

Newport Beach: Bonita Canyon Sport Park
Bonita Canyon & Mesa View
Love's Labour's Lost: Saturday, August 1, 7pm
As You Like It: Sunday, August 2, 7pm

For dates, locations & play titles playing outside of Orange County go HERE.

xoxo, K

image via Shakespeare by the Sea

Legoland for FREE.

Here's a little tip I picked up last week... during the last hour of operation at Legoland, you can actually get in FREE! For example, the day we went to Legoland, the park was open until 5pm. So, starting at 3:45 you can park for FREE. Then, all you have to do, is head on over to the gates & once the clock strikes 4pm, watch as they open the floodgates & let you waltz right in, at absolutely no cost to you! That's right, you can take the entire family to Legoland for FREE! That's quite a deal, even if it is only for an hour.

xoxo, K

Reader Tip: FREE Krispy Kreme Doughnuts Today!

In case you didn't know, & I admit I didn't, the first Friday of every June is National Doughnut Day. Krsipy Kreme is joining in the celebration by giving away a FREE doughnut to all of it's cutsomers! Hip Hip Hooray! No purchase necessary... all customers receive one FREE doughnut. Find the nearest Krsipy Kreme location HERE.

Extra special thanks to our reader Lois for sending us the tip... keep 'em coming!

xoxo, K

Wildlife Safari

If your little ones are intrigued by reptiles, amphibians & arachnids... then this FREE event is for you! Gather the kids, grab some lawn chairs & blankets & head on over to the Cypress Nature Park for a hands-on safari experience. The event begins at 10 am, but don't be too late, the park closes at noon! For more information, click on the flyer above or call (714)229-6780.

xoxo, K
image via the city of cypress.

Kids Bowl Free!

I'm totally looking forward to summer, who isn't? But, I have to admit, I'm not looking forward to having to entertain the kiddos, all day, every day. But THIS is definitely something that will be going on our Summer To-Do list. The Kids Bowl Free is seriously an incredible deal! & Luckily for those of us who live in Orange County the Concourse Entertainment Center in Anaheim is participating.

So how exactly does the Kids Bowl Free program work? Kids literally can bowl 2 FREE games EVERY DAY throughout the duration of the program. Each participating center has their own age & programs restrictions. (For the Concourse Entertainment Center in Anaheim: children ages 15 & under are able to participate, the program began on May 18th & will last until August 3rd, 2009, & the days and hours available for FREE bowling are Monday - Thursday, 9am - 4pm.) However, to participate in the Kids Bowl Free program, you do have to sign up your kids HERE. At that time you will be offered the opportunity to buy a "family pass." If you decide to purchase the "family pass" for a one-time payment of $23.95, then up to 4 adult family members can bowl 2 games per person, per day. That isn't a bad deal either. Just $23.95 for an entire summer of bowling? For more information go HERE.

I truly doubt we will be bowling every day, but I'm sure will make it up to Anaheim a couple of times this summer. What a great way to escape the heat!

xoxo, K
image via Kids Bowl Free

OC Great Park's Movie on the Lawn

Tomorrow, Saturday, May 30th, you & the family can see Transformers for FREE at the Orange County Great Park. The movie begins at 8pm, but I'd arrive early with your beach chair, blankets & popcorn. For more information go HERE. For directions go HERE.

xoxo, K
image via Orange County Great Park

Picture the Park!

On Saturday, April 25th the Great Park of Orange County will be hosting a FREE family event Picture the Park. "This family event will offer the opportunity to explore one's imagination and vision of the Great Park through creativity and hands-on activities, including 3-D art, sidewalk chalk drawings, and agricultural art."

Picture the Park
Saturday, April 25th, 2009
1-4pm, at the Great Park Preview Park

xoxo, K
image via Great Park of Orange County

Free Cone Day at Ben & Jerry's

Don't forget.... Tuesday, April 21st is FREE Cone Day at Ben & Jerry's. Who can pass up FREE ice cream? Especially when it's this HOT out?! So mark your calendar, tie a string around your finger, cover the house with sticky notes... whatever will help you remember. Then on Tuesday, April 21st, find your nearest Ben & Jerry's HERE, pack up the kids & head on down for some FREE ice cream.

xoxo, K
image via Ben & Jerry's

Museums for FREE

I don't know about you, but these days I'm especially fond of anything FREE. Granted, living in Orange County provides lots of FREE activities... beaches, regional parks & city parks, just to name a few. But did you know that you can visit several of our local museums for FREE? Yep, yep! This is definitely one of Orange County's best-kept secrets.

7 days a week, 365 days a year (or at least on the days the museum are actually OPEN), the following museums offer FREE admission every day...

Balboa Island Museum
Irvine Museum
Newport Sports Museum

Thanks to Target & their Target Free program which provides FREE admission to select museums, we can all attend several of our favorite museums for FREE, every month...

The First Saturday of every month:
Children's Museum at La Habra

The First Sunday of every month:
Bower's Museum & Kidseum

The Second Sunday of every month:
Orange County Museum of Art

For those of you with a Bank of America check, ATM or credit card in your wallet, you can take advantage of their Museums on Us program, which grants FREE admission to over 70 museums nationwide. Locally, here in the OC, any card from Bank of America will give you FREE admission on...

The first weekend of every month:
Discovery Science Center (Saturdays only)
Muzeo

If you happen to be a resident of Santa Ana (proof of residency is required: driver's license, utility, bill, etc.), then you can attend several of the cities local museums (& even a zoo) for FREE on certain days of the month:

The First Sunday of every month:
The Bowers Museum & Kidseum
Centennial Heritage Museum

The First Monday of every month:
Discovery Science Center

The Second Tuesday of every month:
Santa Ana Zoo

The Third Tuesday of every month:
Bowers Museum & Kidseum

xoxo, K

Just Spotted at Juice it Up!

FREE Strawberry Wave Smoothie, April 1 from 4-6pm at Juice It Up! Find your nearest location HERE!

xoxo, K

FREE Ice Skating & More...

This coming Saturday, March 14th "say 'Goodbye' to Winter & 'Hello' to Spring!" That's right, the Orange County Great Park is celebrating this seasonal transition with FREE activities like ice skating (11 Am - 1o pm), sledding, ice carving demonstrations, treasure hunting, snacks & more (10am - 3pm)!

If you can't make the big "Shamrocks & Skates" Event on Saturday, don't worry... just as our reader Aracely reminded us of last week, you can still enjoy FREE ice skating all weekend long, Friday, Saturday & Sunday, from 10am - 10pm. But, don't forget this is the last weekend for the Great Skate, so you better head on over there quick to take advantage of this great offer!

xoxo, K
image via Orange County Great Park

Celebrate the Vote!

Have you voted? If you have been an active participant in our democracy today, here are some of the free treats that we spotted just for you:

Krispy Kreme

Starbucks

Ben and Jerry's

xoxo, C

Feeling lucky?

Lucky Kid is having a contest & you're invited... or rather your kid is, providing they are between the ages of 5-12. All they have to do is draw a picture of why they feel lucky. 12 lucky winners will receive a $50 Lucky gift card, & each winner's drawing will be printed & sold as greeting cards in Lucky Kid stores. For official rules & entry application go HERE. Entries must be received by August 7, 2008.

xoxo, K

Definitely something you don't want to miss.

Concerts, Action Sports Shows (featuring skateboarding, BMX, motorsports, Lucha Libre, mixed martial arts & bull riding), a Cattle Drive, Tribute Bands, & the typical Carnival stuff: rides, games & food (I'm looking forward to the roasted corn & deep-fried Snickers bar). For more information go HERE.

• FREE admission on opening day, Friday, July 11th from Noon - 1pm
• Kids ages 12 & under are admitted FREE on Tuesday, July 15th, 22nd, & 29th
• FREE admission with donation of 5 canned or dry food items on Wednesday, July 23rd from Noon - 6 pm
• FREE admission with the donation of 1 new, or 3 gently used children's books on Wednesday, July 30th from Noon - 6 pm
• Every Tuesday & Wednesday: Ride all the rides you want with the purchase of a $20 wristband. (Only sold until 5pm & you can ride until 8 pm)
• Every Thursday & Friday: $1 rides until 7 pm
  

What: The Orange County Fair
When: July 11 - August 3, 2008
Where: Orange County Fairgrounds, 88 Fair Dr., Costa Mesa, CA 92626

xoxo, K

Mom, I'm bored.

It's that dreaded sentence that moms hate to hear, & kids love to utter. If you're looking for some quick & easy summer activities to fill the boring moments of you & your kids lives, then check out THIS list. With over 150 ideas, you're bound to find one or two ideas that will cure that will cure your summertime boredom.

xoxo, K

Day at the Park

A reader recently emailed us asking for information regarding water play areas at local parks. We thought we'd go one step further & include all of the local OC parks that go "beyond the call of duty". You know, the parks that have more than just your basic swing set & playground. Now you (& your kids) will never be bored with the same old park. (For more information on each specific park, just click on the park name & you'll be transported to the city website.) Have we missed your favorite park or playground? Be sure to email us & fill us in!

Pearson Park: 400 N. Harbor Blvd., Anaheim: swimming pools, lagoons & water gardens
Walnut Grove Park: 905 S. Anaheim Blvd., Anaheim, water feature
Boysen Park: 951 S. State College Blvd., Anaheim, features a permanently grounded US Navy Cougar jet airplane, circa 1954.

City Hall Park: 401 s. Brea Blvd, Brea, swimming pool
Founder's Park: Central & Berry, Brea, climbing wall
Tri-City Park: Kraemer at Golden, Brea, fishing

Henry Bolsseranc Park: 7520 Dale Street, Buena Park: swimming pool
Carl Brenner Park: 7373 San Rafael, Buena Park, wading pool
Larwin Park: 6150 Ball Road, Buena Park, spray pool
William Peak Park: 7225 El Dorado Dr, Buena Park: swimming pool & skate park

Adlena Park: 300 N. Adlena Dr., Fullerton, spray pool
Chapman Park: 2515 San Carlos Dr., Fullerton, climbing wall
Downtown Plaza: 125 E. Wilshire Ave., Fullerton, interactive fountain
Laguna Lake Park: 3120 Lakeview Drive, Fullerton, fishing
J. Francis "Pep" Lemon Park: 701 S. Lemon, Fullerton, spray pool
Skate Park: 801 W. Valencia Dr., Fullerton

Ted Craig Regional Park: 3300 State College, Fullerton, fishing
Valencia Park: 2425 W. Valencia Dr., Fullerton, wading pool & activity slab

Eastgate Park: 12001 St. Mark St., Garden Grove, pool facility
Magnolia Park: 11402 Magnolia St., Garden Grove, pool facility
Woodbury Park: 13800 Rosita Plc., Garden Grove, pool facility

Huntington Central Park: 18000 Goldenwest St., Huntington Beach, fishing, frisbee golf, horseshoes & an adventure playground featuring rope bridge, cable slide, mudslides & forts. For more information go HERE.

Deerfield Community Park: 55 Deerwood West, Irvine, disc golf course
University Community Park: 1 Beech Tree Ln., Irvine, disc golf course & adventure playground featuring activities such as climbing, exploring, jumping and crawling. for more information go HERE.
Irvine Skate Park: 14701 Harvard Ave., Irvine

Heisler Park: located along the bluffs of Cliff Drive, North Laguna, marine & tide pool reserve area
Divers & Shaws Cove & Rockpile Beach: located off the bluffs of Cliff Dr., North Laguna, marine refuge area, scuba & snorkeling
Main Beach Park: Coast Hwy & Broadway/ Hwy 133, Laguna Beach, protected tide pools.

Fashion Island Shopping Center: 401 Newport Center Dr., Newport Beach, CA 92660, pop up fountains near the Garys store

Eisehhower Park: 2864 N. Tustin, Ave., Orange, streams & lake for fishing

Frontier Park: 1400 Mitchell Ave., Tustin, frisbee golf
Pioneer Road Park: 10250 Pioneer Rd., Tustin, water feature

Shakespeare by the Sea.

Shakespeare by the Sea is a Southern California-based, non-profit organization, that performs the works of Shakespeare for local communities. FREE performances can be seen June - August in San Pedro, Carson, Glendale, Hermosa Beach, Irvine, Laguna Niguel, Lawndale, Lomita, Long Beach, Manhattan Beach, Newport Beach, Rancho Palos Verdes, South Pasadena & Torrance. Check out dates, locations & play titles HERE.

What: FREE Shakespeare performances
When: June - August, 2008
Where: Find locations, date, time & play titles HERE

xoxo, K

image via here.

Escape the heat at the movies.

The movie theater is one of my favorite summer get-aways. You get to escape reality for a few short hours, & relax in a heavily air-conditioned room (without having to foot the bill). Unfortunately, movie tickets are getting pricey, even the afternoon matinees. Good thing there is an abundance of free flicks playing this summer!

AMC Summer Movie Camp: $1 G & PG movies start at 10 am every Wednesday from June 25 - August 6th. Find the nearest location & movie selections HERE.
City of Tustin FREE Movies in the Park: Thursday Nights, July 31st & all of August, admission is FREE.
FREE Family Film Festival: FREE G & PG movies start at 10 am each Tuesday & Wednesday morning at select Regal theaters, during the months of June, July & August. Find the nearest location & movie selections HERE.
FREE for All Movie Monday's: FREE movies shown on select Monday nights at the Orange County Performing Arts Center. Show starts at 8 pm, set-up begins at 5:30 pm. For more information, go Here.
Movies on the Beach: Bring the kids, lawn chairs & treats to see movies on a giant blow-up screen on the beach. Starts at 7 pm on select Friday & Saturday nights a Newport Dunes Waterfront Resort & Marina. For specific dates & movie selections go HERE.

xoxo, K

Getting Fit & Having Fun.

After I had my first child, I have to admit that I was a bit surprised that all that extra weight I had gained just didn't disappear after the birth of my son. When my second son was born, I was a bit more prepared, but I was still frustrated that my extra weight didn't just melt away. Next time around, I might be checking out Stroller Strides, I love the idea that it is a fitness program that you can actually do with your baby! Sign up for a FREE class & check out the location of your local class HERE.

If you're in the area though, you can meet Lisa Druxman (the creator of the Stroller Strides program), attend her FREE master class, & get a copy of her new book, Lean Mommy, signed. & get this... the first 50 to arrive will get a FREE goodie bag & will receive a raffle ticket for the opportunity to win a FREE Stroller Stride "Bob" stroller.

What: FREE Stroller Strides Class & Lean Mommy Book Signing
When: Tuesday, June 2th, 9 am (Registration is at 8:30 am)
Where: The Village of Orange, 100 E. Village Way, Orange, CA 92865

xoxo, K

FREE Summer Concert Series

If you've already checked out our calendar, then maybe you've already noticed all the fabulous FREE summer concerts happening throughout Orange County. But they really are so incredible, we thought they deserved a post all of their own. So gather up your kids, grab a blanket & some lawn chairs, pack a picnic basket & get ready to enjoy an evening of music in the park. Just click on the cities to find out all the details.

Buena Park
Cypress
Dana Point
Fullerton
Huntington Beach
Irvine
Laguna Beach
Laguna Niguel
Los Alamitos
Newport Beach
Newport Beach: Fashion Island
Orange
Ranch Santa Margarita
San Juan Capistrano
San Clemente
Seal Beach
Tustin
Westminster
Yorba Linda
Yorba Linda: Nixon Library

xoxo, K