Mom & Dad Time | SoCal Savvy Mom

May 4
2016

Soothe In-Home Massage delivered to you – $30 off!

Soothe Massage is an on demand massage company that comes straight to you. Anytime from 8 A.M. to midnight you may request a five-star massage therapist to come to your house. There are four different types of massage including Swedish, Deep Tissue, Sports, and Pre-Natal massage. There is also couples massage, that’s right, they will send two therapists to your home so you and your partner can enjoy a massage together.

This Mother’s Day give the gift of health and wellness to your mother, or ask your kids and husband to buy it for you! Soothe massage prices are amazing only $99 for a 60-minute massage, $139 for a 90-minute massage, and $169 for a 120-minute massage. The pricing is simple, and tip is included. Book now and receive $30 off your first massage with Soothe, making the price only $69 for a 60-minute, $109 for a 90-minute, or $139 for a 120-minute massage!

I was fortunate enough to have a little pre-Mother’s Day pampering yesterday with a 90-minute massage in my living room, My therapist Muriel was delightful, and very skilled. She brought everything with her, massage table, sheets & pillows, aroma therapy, and music. It was one of the best massages I’ve ever had, and what I absolutely adored was that when the 90-minutes were up I didn’t have to drive home, I was home! I poured myself a glass of wine, moved myself to the couch and relaxed for the rest of the night.

Soothe is now available in 27 cities with over 4000 licensed massage therapists, Soothe currently serves: Los Angeles, the San Francisco Bay Area, New York, London, Atlanta, Austin, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Fort Worth, Ft. Lauderdale, Houston, Indianapolis, Las Vegas, Miami, Minneapolis, Newark/Northern New Jersey, Orlando, Philadelphia, Portland, Phoenix, San Diego, San Jose, Scottsdale, Seattle, Vancouver (British Columbia), and Washington D.C. Both Las Vegas and Orlando will be happy to serve customers as of May 5th, 2016!

For more information or to book your first, or second, or third Soothe Massage visit their website here.

Apr 22
2016

Murder Mystery With a Side of Spaghetti

by Robyn Lass

SoCal Savvy Mom’s Nicole Hughes planned the best birthday surprise a mystery-loving girl could have asked for, organizing a night of suspense, intrigue and … murder.

Nicole kept the details of our night under wraps, so I had no idea where we were going or what we were doing. Only that I was supposed to dress the part. The theme was 1950s, a fun and fairly easy costume to whip up.

When we arrived at our destination, The Old Spaghetti Factory in San Marcos, I was excited to see my friends had all embraced the theme as well. They looked great!

Once seated in the dining room, surrounded by costumed hosts and similarly dressed guests, it took just a few minutes to solve the first mystery of the night—we were at a murder mystery party!

For this real-life version of “Clue,” one of my favorite movies by the way, we had a super-sleuth crew consisting of Holly Bacca, Molly Burke, Kara Brem, Allison Gardner, Nicole Hughes and my sister Lynne Hakes. We had the brains and the beauty. The other teams didn’t stand a chance.

Dubbed “team cheerleaders” we were instructed to “be loud.” Five minutes in we were on our way to successfully annoying the rest of the partygoers. And oh yeah, solving the murder.

Hats off to our hosts, along with the amazing group of servers who kept the food and drinks flowing all night—and of course side-splitting laughs. Throughout the night we were all encouraged to mingle, ask questions and get to know the our fellow detectives in the room. But we didn’t want to get too friendly, they were our competition after all.

I think my favorite part of the night was when my dear friend Kara solved the who-dun-it after one quick round of questions. Smart cookie that one. We spent the rest of the evening trying to determine motive, because every good murder has a good back story.

With some dancing, fun games and other silliness blended in (my sister got to ham it up as one of the chosen sock-hop role-players) the night was a blast. And yes, I wasn’t kidding, our team did solve the case. We have the certificate to prove it.

A great date night, girls’ night, or family night (though I’d recommend it for older kids who have the attention span to join the fun), The Murder Mystery Co. hosts public events at two locations, plus private parties. Check out the full details at MurderMysteryDinnerSanDiego.com.

Nancy Drew, Sherlock Holmes, Jessica Fletcher… all good detectives. But last night my girls and I put them all to shame.

Apr 18
2016

National Parks free this week!

by Nicole Connerley

park-week-header-1

Each spring, the National Park Service and the National Park Foundation invite everyone to celebrate National Park Week. Which means you can visit one of over 400 national parks for FREE!

From April 16 – 24, you are invited to celebrate all that America’s more than 400 national parks have to offer. And in honor of the National Park Service Centennial this year, all parks are offering free admission the entire week. From diverse wildlife and iconic landscapes, to vibrant culture and rich history, our National Park System has something for everyone.

This year join in the fun at a National Park Week in-person! There are special events and online, and when you visit be sure to share your memories with using #FindYourPark and #EncuentraTuParque!

Celebrating 100 Years

The National Park Service turns 100 on August 25, 2016! Please join our Centennial celebration.

Learn more »

A park can be different things to different people. Find yours. It might be closer than you think.

Find your park »

Explore Your National Parks

Calendar of Events

We’ve got fun National Park Week events in national parks all across the country. Find an event near you!

View Calendar of Events »

Travel Ideas

Get the inside scoop on what not to miss, discover hidden gems in your national parks, and more!

View Travel Ideas »

Nov 18
2015

Balboa Park December Nights 2015

by Nicole Connerley

December Nights at Balboa Park is a fun family event and it is free for the whole family to enjoy. There will be dancers, carolers, and other live entertainment throughout the event. Friday December 4th the event will run from 3 p.m. to 11 p.m. and on Saturday December 5th from noon to 11 p.m.

A wonderful part of the December Nights is participating Balboa Park museums open their doors free of charge from 5-9 pm both evenings! Yes, the museums will be open for free for all to enter and explore on both nights. Some of the museums included are the Reuben H. Fleet Science Center, San Diego Air & Space Museum, San Diego Automotive Museum, San Diego Hall of Champions Sports Museum, San Diego History Center, San Diego Museum of Man, The San Diego Museum of Art, theNAT: San Diego Natural History Museum, and more. This year more than 350,000 visitors are expected to experience the joy of San Diego’s largest free community festival. Those who attend will participate in a truly multicultural experience, enjoying food, music and entertainment from around the world.

Revelers can watch top-notch musical and dance performances, enjoy delicious and diverse food choices and help spread a heavy dose of holiday cheer. Some of the more well-known traditions include food from around the globe at the International Christmas Festival at the House of Pacific Relations Cottages; the annual Santa Lucia Procession at the Plaza de California; unique gift shopping at the museum stores and with the artisans of Spanish Village; and musical and dance presentations from the San Diego Junior Theatre, San Diego Civic Youth Ballet, Del Cerro Baptist’s Christmas Story Tree, and more.

Getting there:

With more than 350,000 people attending December Nights and extremely limited parking at Balboa Park, it is encouraged to use the FREE off-site shuttles or take public transportation. Avoid the 163 southbound during the hours of 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., as this highway will be very congested. Use alternate routes to get to the Park and the shuttle stops. FREE SHUTTLE SERVICE – The December Nights Shuttles at PETCO Park and City College run on Friday from 3:00-midnight and on Saturday from 11:30 until midnight in all locations. The last shuttle leaves all sites at 8:00 pm so plan to arrive at shuttle location BEFORE 7pm! The last shuttle from the park is at 11:45pm.

City College Lots between 16th and “B and C” Streets: Parking is free and there are more than 1,500 parking spaces. Shuttle drops off at 6th & Laurel Streets. The Park is approximately 1/4 mile from City College, so walking is an option. To get to the City College lots use I-5 and exit at “B” Street.
Downtown San Diego on Ash St between 5^th and 6^th Ave. Numerous parking lots in this area at $5, or free street parking after 6pm. Shuttle drops off at 6th and Laurel.
***NOTE***There will be NO Shuttle from Petco Park this year!

New this year! Children’s Interactive Area including a dynamic Community Mural where families can creatively contribute to giant-sized coloring book page featuring Balboa Park. Following December Nights, the Community Mural will then be on display in the Park throughout the holiday season! The Children’s Interactive Area will also include hands-on crafts, games, and entertainment and will be located adjacent to the beautiful and historic Botanical Building.

Sep 23
2015

Oceanside Harbor Days this weekend

by Nicole Connerley

On September 26-27, 2015 the Oceanside Chamber of Commerce along with Tri-City Medical Center and Genentech will present Oceanside Harbor Days at the Oceanside Harbor. The event will feature arts and craft exhibits, great food and fun activities for the entire family. The event is open from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Saturday and 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Sunday.

Two event filled days of sun, sand, and surf provide an outstanding opportunity for residents and neighbors to experience fun activities including the Pirate Village, Entertainment Stage, Arts, Crafts and Food booth areas, Nail ‘n’ Sail Competition, Military, Public Safety displays, and more.

Harbor Days is free to the public and is hosted by the Oceanside Chamber of Commerce and Oceanside Harbor District and presented Genentech and Tri-City Medical Center. Harbor Days Sponsors include: American Vision Windows & Solar, Chobani, Cox Communications, Frazier Farms, Gaslamp Popcorn, Kahoots, Lowe’s Home Improvement, North County Health Services, Pacific Marine Credit Union, Prohibition Brewery, Rincon Band of Luiseno Indians, Scripps Health, Shopoff Realty Investments, San Diego Union-Tribune, Wal-Mart, Waste Management of North County and Welk Resorts.

– See more at: http://www.oceansidechamber.com/oceanside-harbor-days.html#sthash.2ZMQSPnQ.dpuf

Jul 25
2015

Del Mar Races with kids!

by Nicole Connerley

Every weekend during the Del Mar Race season has fun for the whole family! Children are free and adults can get in as low as $3 with a diamond club membership (free to join) To join the Diamond Club look for a tent right where you would purchase regular admission tickets. It takes two minutes to sign up and you receive tons of discounts. For details on becoming a Diamond Club Member click here.

The FREE family events are held in the infield every Saturday and Sunday throughout the Del Mar Race Season. It is fun for kids and parents. There are a ton of free activities for children like Pony Rides, Giant Scramble Slide & Obstacle Course, Del Mar Mascot “Pony Boy”, Inflatable Games & Rides, Magic Shows, The GameZone, Face Painters, Caricature Artist, and Jockey Stilt Walkers.

On weekends, families always win at Del Mar. Join the party in the infield with plenty of fun for the entire family. Children receive free racetrack admission, adults are only $6 down to $3 if you are a Diamond Club Member. The Del Mar Races are a great place to bring the whole family. Kids love the Del Mar Races although for different reasons than their parents, kids will still have a lot of fun!

To see the full line up of activities at the Del Mar Races for kids click here.

The FREE activities feature:

	Pony Rides		Giant Scramble Slide & Obstacle Course
	Inflatable Games & Rides		Del Mar Mascot “Pony Boy”
	Magic Show & GameZone		Face Painters
	Jockey Stilt Walkers		Caricature Artist