Color Fun Fest! Win Tickets to this Color 5K Run | @ColorFunFest #Giveaway #Fitness

While on my quest to look for my next 5K run, I ran into the Color Fun Fest perfect for the whole family!  I would love to give away entries to this fun 5K run to my readers!

You have heard of Color Runs before and this one is a little different as it starts in the afternoon and goes into the night for extra fun!

WHAT:   Color Fun Fest 5k is the child within that most people like to keep hidden. It is the that joyous feeling inside when you let go and really have fun. It’s seizing the day, making a memory, and smiling uncontrollably.

Derived from the Holi Festival in India, Color Fun Fest celebrates life and seeks to bring people together. The energy is almost unreal; when you’re standing there with thousands of people, counting down, and throw that first batch of colored powder into the air… something inside of you changes. It’s a real release. It’s a release of frustration, a release of anger, a release of any negativity you may have. Letting it all go. The Holi Festival has roots in ridding oneself of past errors, and emphasizes forgiveness. Basing Color Fun Fest on these principles, we strive for ultimate positivity.

Pumping that energy into a 5k run, participants break through the start barrier­ ready to take on anything. Electronic music floods the course as it pulsates through speakers, keeping up stamina. Before you know it, there is a color station with volunteers waiting to throw more color onto passing runners. Afterward, there is a large festival area for runners to cool down and hang out. Featuring a local artist, the festival is driven by massive speakers and DJ entertainment, with a vendor village full of local businesses. Choose from the day run or the night run full of black lights, and experience something unforgettable.

WHY: A portion of the proceeds will be benefiting a new startup charity called Flight For Cystic Fibrosis. Founder Vincent Palacio is a skydiving instructor that also happens to have CF. This organization gives children with Cystic Fibrosis a chance to feel alive by experiencing the incredible feeling of skydiving through wind tunnels and jumps. The mission of this program is to show these kids how to overcome fears and feel hope, bonding families and encouraging healthy living, which is vitally necessary for a person with Cystic Fibrosis.

WHO: The team of Color Fun Fest has a colorful track record, to say the least. From extreme sports to EDM events to epic 5k runs, the team constantly grows with experience in throwing the best events you’ll ever attend. Brought together from different backgrounds and skill, this eclectic team values satisfaction. Color Fun Fest takes on America in 2014, touring to upwards of 20 different cities across the country. This new company on the block seeks to make big moves in the coming years, hoping to go international by the end of 2014.

  

WHO SHOULD ATTEND? Whole community­ including kids/parents, couples, groups of friends, fitness gurus, dance enthusiasts, runners, joggers, walkers, bloggers, couch potatoes, the young, the old, and basically everyone and anyone that likes to have fun!

WHEN: May 10, 2014 : 1:00pm ­ 10:00pm

WHERE: NOS Events Center, 689 S E Street, San Bernardino CA 92408

If you have general questions: email info@colorfunfest.com

Website: http://colorfunfest5k.com/locations/memphis­2014/ facebook: www.facebook.com/ColorFunFest 

YouTube: www.youtube.com/colorfunfest Twitter: @colorfunfest 

Instagram: @colorfunfest 

WIN FREE ENTRY TICKETS BELOW!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

DISCLAIMER:  I was given tickets to give away to my readers.  I was not compensated in any other form for this post.

Knott's Annual Passes: Year Round Fun! | @Knotts #SoakCityOC

With summer arriving soon, it's time to think about what to do for a vacation. This year, why not do a stay-cation instead? What is a stay-cation? A stay-cation is saving money and staying local.

Imagine not having to pay for traveling to a far away vacation spot, save that money and spend it on local fun and splurge. In the process of saving money, your money stays in the community that keeps Southern California so great!

So you have decided that a stay-cation is sounding good, where to go? I have a great idea that I know will be a big hit with the whole family. Knott's Berry Farm. Huh? You might ask. Yes, our favorite theme park is the perfect stay-cation spot.

My family has been begging to go back to Knott's and especially Soak City. My husband and I have finally talked about reserving our own stay-cation and thanks to our friends at Giga-Savvy, it is happening soon!

Did you know they have a hotel? The Knott's Berry Farm Hotel is right next door to Knott's and a great place to put your weary body after chasing the kids all around the park and/or Soak City this summer. Check out the great payment plans for the hotel here.

Since our kids birthdays are in May and in fact, my son's birthday is May 17th, we have decided it was time to get season passes.

There are three passes and it is an easy choice for us which one we will get. Since our whole family loves water-parks, discounts and Knotts Berry Farm, we are choosing the Gold Pass.

Speaking of the parks, when does Soak City open? May 17, 2014. That is just around the corner and the weather is looking great for it with it being in the 90's this week!

You may think, the Gold Pass sounds expensive. It's not! I pay more in a week for coffee than you pay monthly for both parks. The 6 easy payment plan is perfect for us. Check out the differences between the 3 plans and make the choice for your family.

BENEFITS	REGULAR PASS	GOLD PASS	PLATINUM PASS	SOAK CITY Regular PASS
6 Easy Payments	$14	$17	$32	$11
Unlimited Visits In 2014 Come for an hour or stay for the day. The choice is yours with a Season Pass.	YES	YES	YES	YES
Early Ride Times Some of your favorite rides open early on select days during the summer.	YES	YES	YES	NO
Food & Merch Discounts Save 10% on purchases at select locations throughout the park.  Platinum saves 20%.	YES	YES	YES	NO
Knott's Hotel Discounts Stay and play.  Passholders receive great discount offers for stays at the Knott's Hotel.	YES	YES	YES	NO
Scary Farm Ticket Discounts Specially discounted tickets to Knott's Scary Farm are available for Passholders.	YES	YES	YES	NO
Bring A Friend Days Bring a Friend for a discounted admission price. Valid on select days.	YES	YES	YES	NO
Unlimited Soak City OC Use your pass for unlimited visits to Soak City OC.	NO	YES	YES	YES
Free Parking Don't pay for parking each time you visit. It's free for Platinum Passholders.	NO	NO	YES	NO
All Cedar Fair Parks Admission & Free Parking at all Cedar Fair Parks, including California's Great America.	NO	NO	YES	NO

Whichever pass you choose, you are bound to have a great stay-cation or just a day of great fun.

DISCLAIMER: The opinions in this article are my own. I do not work for, or with, any brand mentioned in this article, nor do I have any official relationship with them. I have a relationship with GigaSavvy, for whom I create original editorial content.

Sustainable Seafood: What is it? Seafood Recipes | #Sustainable #Seafood #Recipes

In the news, I have been hearing a lot about sustainable seafood and wondered, what exactly IS sustainable seafood?  

"Sustainable seafood is seafood that is either caught or farmed in ways that consider the long-term vitality of harvested species and the well-being of the oceans. It was first promoted through the sustainable seafood movement which began in the 1990s. This operation highlights over-fishing and environmentally destructive fishing methods. Through a number of initiatives, the movement has increased awareness and raised concerns over the way our fish are obtained."

So which fish are considered "sustainable"?  I have compiled a list of different fish that I commonly see at the grocery stores and a few recipes that we can try.  We all try to eat healthier and fish are full of vitamins and essential oils to make our bodies optimal. 

• Catfish- (farmed)
• Clams-mussels-oysters- (farmed)
• Cod-(Alaskan)
• Halibut-(Alaskan)
• Salmon-(Alaskan)
• Sea Bass-(Chilean)
• Spiny Lobster(Pacific/US)

FRIED CATFISH-(FARMED)

Ingredients:

• Catfish filets
• 1 cup milk
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• 1- 1 1/2 cup of cornmeal
• 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• Seafood seasoning (we use Old Bay because its not as spicy)*
• Vegetable oil for frying

1. First you soak the fish in milk 
2. While the fish are soaking, put the flour, cornmeal, salt and pepper, and seasonings in a ziplock bag and mix well.
3. Coat the fish completely with the dry mixture.
4. Add an inch of oil to your frying pan(or use a deep fryer), when the oil is hot fry the filets until golden brown.  This usually takes about 3-4 minutes.
5. To avoid excess oil/fats, lay the fish on a paper towel and pat the excess off. 
6. Serve with tartar sauce and enjoy!

COD(ALASKAN)-Parmesean Baked

Ingredients:

• 3 tbsp. each flour and corn meal
• 1/4 tsp. onion powder
• 1/8 tsp. pepper
• 1/8 tsp. garlic salt
• 2 tbsp. butter or margarine
• 1 lb. Alaska cod fillets, thawed if necessary
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

1. Combine flour, corn meal, half of the Parmesan cheese and seasonings.
2. Melt butter in shallow baking dish. D
3. redge cod in flour mixture; place in dish. Turn cod to coat with butter; sprinkle with the rest of the Parmesan cheese.
4. Bake at 450 F 8 to 10 minutes or until cod flakes easily when tested with a fork.

HALIBUT(ALASKAN)- w/Mushrooms

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1/4 cup clamshell mushrooms, or more to taste
• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 2 (7 ounce) halibut fillets
• 1 pinch cayenne pepper, or to taste
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/2 lemon, juiced
• 1 1/2 tablespoons butter, room temperature but not soft
• 1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf Italian parsley

1. Heat oil and 1 tablespoon butter in heavy skillet over medium-high heat until butter melts and begins to foam. Add mushrooms and a pinch of salt; saute in hot butter and oil golden brown, about 5 minutes. Push mushroom to the edges to clear a space in the center of the skillet.
2. Season halibut on each side with salt and cayenne pepper. Place halibut fillets in the center of the skillet and cook until the fillets begin to flake, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer halibut to a warm serving plate.
3. Pour the water into the pan and bring to a boil while scraping the browned bits of food off of the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon, until water is reduced by half, 1 to 2 minutes. Pour lemon juice into mushroom mixture and stir.
4. Stir butter and parsley into mushroom mixture. Stir constantly until butter melts and forms a sauce; remove from heat and season with salt and black pepper. Spoon sauce and mushrooms over halibut.

MUSSELS(FARMED) IN A WHITE WINE SAUCE

Ingredients:

• 4 lbs live mussels
• 2 cups dry white wine
• 4 large shallots, finely chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup mixed fresh herbs (such as flat-leaf parsley,chervil,or basil,chopped)
• 6 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces

1. Rinse and scrub mussels under cold water.
2. Using your fingers or paring knife, remove beards (strings that hang from the mussel shells), and discard.
3. In a large stockpot set over medium heat, combine wine, shallots, garlic, and salt.
4. Simmer 5 minutes.
5. Add mussels, cover, and increase heat to high.
6. Cook until all mussels are open, about 5 minutes.
7. Stir in herbs and butter.
8. Remove from heat.
9. Divide mussels and broth among four bowls.
10. Serve immediately.

SALMON(ALASKAN)

Ingredients:

• 6 (5 ounce) salmon fillets
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon white wine
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
• 4 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil, and spray with non-stick cooking spray.
2. Coat a small saucepan with non-stick cooking spray. Over medium heat, cook and stir garlic until soft, about 3 minutes. Mix in white wine, honey, balsamic vinegar, mustard, and salt and pepper. Simmer, uncovered, for about 3 minutes, or until slightly thickened.
3. Arrange salmon fillets on foil-lined baking sheet. Brush fillets with balsamic glaze, and sprinkle with oregano.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 10 to 14 minutes, or until flesh flakes easily with a fork. Brush fillets with remaining glaze, and season with salt and pepper. Use a spatula to transfer fillets to serving platter, leaving the skin behind on the foil.

SEA BASS(CHILEAN)

Ingredients:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour for dredging, seasoned with salt and pepper
• 1 1/2 to 2 pounds Chilean Sea Bass fillets
• 4 tablespoons butter/ olive oil combination
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 1 tablespoon butter, softened
• 2 tablespoons drained capers

1. Preheat oven to 200 degrees F.
2. Place flour for dredging in a shallow bowl. Coat each fillet with seasoned flour and shake off excess. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes. Add butter/olive oil combination. 
3. Add the fillets, without crowding. Increase heat to high and saute, shaking the pan from time to time, until the bottom of the fish is nicely browned, about 3 minutes. Turn and brown the other side. 
4. Remove fish to a plate and keep warm in the oven. Repeat with remaining fillets.
5. Deglaze the pan with white wine. Cook, stirring over high heat until reduced by about one-third. Stir in remaining butter and drained capers.
6. Plate fish and drizzle sauce around each fillet.

SPINY LOBSTER-BBQ'd

Ingredients:

• 6 California spiny lobsters
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup finely diced red onion
• 1 teaspoon chopped thyme leaves
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 tablespoons white or red wine vinegar
• Handful of fruit wood chips, such as apple or cherry wood, soaked in water for 30 minutes

1. Submerge live lobsters in boiling water for 2 minutes. Remove from water. When cool enough to handle, remove heads from tails. With large knife, cut tails in half lengthwise. Place cut tails in large mixing bowl and toss with garlic, onion, thyme, olive oil and vinegar. Let marinate at room temperature for about 30 minutes.
2. Preheat a charcoal grill to medium-high heat. Once fire is hot, scatter fruit wood on top and allow to burn. As soon as the wood has turned to coal, place lobster tail halves on grill, meat side down. Cook until shell turns a lighter shade of red, about 3 to 5 minutes. Turn lobster tails and cook for an additional 3 minutes or until the meat begins to pull away from the shell.
3. Remove lobsters from grill. Place on platter and pour remaining marinade from bowl over finished tails.

Review: Disney on Ice 100 Years of Magic | #DisneyOnIce

A few days ago, my family and I enjoyed the 100 Years of Magic, Disney on Ice show at the Long Beach Arena. We are huge fans of all things Disney and the show didn't fail to put smiles on our faces.

Where else can you see many of your favorite Disney characters all in the same place? We have enjoyed Disney On Ice shows in the past and each one is as unique with breath-taking athletes!

My daughter has been ice-skating since she was 2 and when asked if she could skate like they can, answers with a resounding "YES"! LOL Well, at least I can come watch her in the future.

I would like to share with you some of our favorite parts of the show which include, Pinocchio, The Incredibles, Mulan, It's A Small World, Finding Nemo and more!

No show can begin without the Mouse of the Hour, Mickey and his friends!  

My children got the biggest kick out of the Zamboni driver!

  

Pinocchio charmed us with his singing and dancing and the whale shocked the kids by eating Pinnochio and his father.

  

One of the first movies that I felt empowered women, Mulan and the incredible Chinese dragon!

The Incredibles made their appearance in suitable "fashion" while showing off their unique abilities and how their "super-clothes" held up so well!

The Lion King reminded me of when I saw the musical on stage with spectacular costumes an music that moved you to the soul.

I wasn't sure how they would pull off Finding Nemo, but they did.  I loved the "Bruce" and Marlin's playful scene with the "Fish are friends not food" scene.

  

  

The princesses were my daughter's favorite with their fancy spins and jumps.  My daughter swears that she will be there doing it soon!

  

"It's A Small World" and the "Electrical Street Parade" brought back many fond memories of Disneyland.  The costumes around the world showed us the variety of life that Disney represents.

The finale of fireworks and dancing left us wanting more!  Oh well, we will just have to go back to Disneyland or wait until the next Disney On Ice!

I hope that if you didn't get to see 100 Years of Magic, you will make a point of bringing your family to see future shows.  No matter how many we see, there is always something new to see.

DISCLAIMER:  We received media tickets for reviewing purposes.  All thoughts and ideas are my own.  All photos are property of SoCalKidsOutdoorAdventures.com.  Do not use any photos without permission!

Urban Ocean Festival: Sneak Peak into Sustainable Seafood | @AquariumPacific #UrbanOcean

Last week, I was invited by the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach to a special harbor cruise in honor of Earth Day.  The cruise gave myself and other media a chance to get a sneak peak at the Urban Ocean Festival that will take place on May 3 and 4th.  

We arrived at the Harbor Breeze Cruise docks next to the Aquarium and boarded one of their many vessels.  As we sat in the comfortable galley, we were treated to a sustainable seafood demo of mackerel, greens and seasonings.  It left us asking for the recipe and wanting more!

  

After our snack, we climbed to the top deck of the boat to enjoy 2 of the designs of the Trash'in Fashion show.  

  

This design was created using items found on the beach and the Pacific Gire.  (the area far out to sea where the currents come together)  The nets were found by boat captain and were recovered before they could harm the wildlife.  The small sand toys are a common sight on all local beaches.  

  

The next creation was made using recycled items found in most households.  The gown created with tall kitchen trash bags with aluminum pull tabs as decor for the straps.  My favorite part of this fashion item was the "Arizona" aluminum can "flower" with veil.  

The festival will be the host to the Trash'in Fashion show along with:

• Harbor cruise
• Art
• Poetry
• Live Music
• Sustainable seafood cooking demo's and more

There were two examples of the artwork that would be show-cased at the festival.  Each represented a way to show human impact on our oceans.

  

The Pacific waters off Southern California host a variety of industrial and recreational activities and also provide habitat for a diverse array of animals. Visitors to this festival can learn more about and better appreciate the urban ocean. During the festival, the Aquarium will debut its new film about aquaculture (fish/shellfish farming), which will be shown daily in its Ocean Science Center. 

There will be special boat programs during the festival and the summer at an additional cost. 

The Urban Ocean: World Port and Sea Life Cruise: 

• Occurs monthly through September (at 4:00 p.m. on June 14, July 12, August 9, and September 6). 
• The Poetry Ocean Cruise is scheduled for Saturday, May 3 at 2:30 p.m. The Urban Ocean Festival is included with admission—$28.95 adult (12+), $25.95 senior (62+), $14.95 child (3-11), and free for children under age three and Aquarium members.
•  The combo prices for Aquarium admission and Urban Ocean Cruises aboard Harbor Breeze Cruises are: $39.95 adult (12+) and $15 child. 

For info: (562) 590-3100 or www.aquariumofpacific.org

Facebook.com/AquariumofthePacific / Twitter: @AquariumPacific / YouTube.com/AquariumofthePacific

ABOUT HARBOR BREEZE CRUISES:

Harbor Breeze Cruises has been providing public whale watching, world port, and charter cruises for over 20 years in the Los Angeles and Orange County areas. Their experienced captains provide comprehensive narration about the characteristics of each cruise. The double-deck sightseeing vessels are U.S. Coast Guard-inspected, certified safe, and are complete with seating, snack bar, restrooms, salon, and plenty of outside viewing room for everyone. For more information, visit www.tickets.harbor-cruises.com