Hotel Amarano in Burbank, California

 

We went on vacation recently & wanted to stay at a hotel that was near everything we were going to be visiting on our trip. As with most families it was important to us to find something that was affordable & wasn't run down while still being in a close proximity to our destination. During my search & comparing hotels we landed on staying at Hotel Amarano in Burbank. Price wise, it was in the middle price range, it wasn't cheap however it also wasn't the most expensive hotel in the area. Aside from the location the two things that drew me to the hotel was that they had on-site parking & offered breakfast as part of their daily amenity fee. You are not able to self-park so you will need to pull up to the front of the hotel so the valet can park your car for you in their parking located under the hotel. Overall, it was a good stay, there was a small downside or two, but that is almost expected when traveling. 

There was a bit of confusion when we first arrived as we had booked two rooms through a booking site & were not aware the booking site had put the reservations under two of our names since the confirmation only showed one name with "2 rooms" under it. It took a few minutes, but they were able to get us into two rooms, although they did end up overcharging our credit card so we had to come back down so they could fix it. Thankfully they realized the mistake right away. We liked that it was right across the street from a small shopping center that had restaurants, a grocery store, Starbucks & more to make it continent to walk over and grab anything you might need. It was also located close to the freeway & several tourist type attractions which was the biggest draw for this hotel, was that it was close to everything we had planned on doing during our trip.

The hotel lobby & bar area were nice. I enjoyed looking at the art and décor they had on display & they had a few different styles of seating available. You could order both drinks & food at the bar and it is also where they placed the continental breakfast in the morning. Our party was a little surprised at the breakfast though, we've stayed in hotels that were much cheaper that had a breakfast spread better suited to multiple appetites which included cereal, eggs, pancakes or even make your own waffles. For the price per night for this hotel you would think they would have something similar. The first morning they had three flavors of bagels, yogurt, a bowl of granola bars, some fresh fruits, mini muffins/pastry and coffee. The second morning they had plain bagels, mini yogurts, mini muffins, half the fruit they had the morning prior and coffee. There were no drink options for non-coffee drinkers or young children, nor were there a lot of non-bread options for non-gluten eaters. One of the families that was getting breakfast at the same time we were had asked if they could get some milk for their small children & were told it would be an extra charge to their room. I know it might sound whinny to be a little judgmental of the breakfast offering, but some people like to book hotels specifically for the included breakfast to help cut down on travel cost when traveling with their families. In a way the hotel felt like more of a spot to stay if you are traveling on business or just in town to see family verses being more family friendly for those visiting Universal, Disney, etc. 

Our hotel room was nice & cozy, there were plenty of space for the four of us in the room we had & the rest of our party was in the room across the hallway. The sofa they had in the rooms were decent & offered plenty of support, they were relaxing to sit down on & watch TV after a long day of exploring and walking around. There was plenty of space for everyone to store their luggage off of the ground. My favorite feature of the room was hands down the bathroom because of the shower, there was a shower head + handheld shower head at each end of the shower. They aim to be eco-friendly in the bathroom so you will not find travel sized shampoo/conditioner instead they have it mounted on the wall in the bathroom. Our room also had a small, enclosed patio attached to it; however, we didn't spend much time outside as the patio could have used a cleaning & we didn't spend enough time in the room to hang out on the patio. 

**This is not a sponsored or hosted post, we paid for this hotel on our own while on vacation. I like sharing fun spots we visit, restaurants to eat at & lodging that we stay at to help others who may be traveling to the area & are looking for recommendations. **

La Brea Tar Pits & Museum in Los Angeles!

 

While we were on our recent vacation to California one of the places, we stopped to check out was the La Brea tar pits & museum in Los Angeles. It is crazy to see this location tucked away in the middle of town, it has a lovely park to walk through to see the different tar pits. Everything is self-guided so you can walk at your own pace. The park and viewing the tar pits seemed like it is free to walk around at any time, there are multiple entrances into the park & there were lots of people walking their dogs, having lunch and just enjoying the nice day out on the grass. Watch where you walk though if you decide to wander onto the grass, you'll see spots where the tar is starting to seep up through the grass. Most of the spots have signs or cones around them so no one ends up sticking their foot into it & then tracking the tar around on their shoe. One of the tar pits you will get to see is an active site that they are still excavating so you'll get to see some of the bones they are bringing up. 

The museum itself is not free, you can either purchase tickets at the little ticket booth outside or buy them upon entry into the museum. Tickets are $15 per adult and $7 for children, they also have a gift shop on site. Inside of the museum you will find a number of skeletal remains they have found in the tar pits right on their own grounds! 

It was crazy to see how many sets of remains had been pulled up from the pits & how many different types of animals, bugs and even plants they have found inside of the tar. You'll get to see many of the remains they've pulled up along with information on the species and more on your tour of the museum. Some of the skeletons they have on display are absolutely massive and others are quite tiny. 

During your tour you'll find several interactive stations for any small kids in your group, it is a fun way to help keep them entertained and engaged during your visit to the museum. A few of the spots are fun for adults too like trying to pull an object out of real tar. 

On of the neat aspects of this museum is they have a viewing area where you can watch staff working on remains that have been excavated from the tar pits. It is pretty neat being able to see them removing tar and delicately working to give the remains the best appearance possible. I personally am not sure if I would be able to concentrate on working with dozens of people stopping to watch me work throughout the day. Do you think you would be able to do it?

My favorite part of the museum is the arboretum in the center of the museum. You'll be able to take a short stroll looking at the assortment of trees, plants and flowers they have on display. I also liked the small waterfall & river they installed in this area. It is a nice spot to sit & relax if you need a few minutes to rest your feet. In total I think we were at the tar pits & museum for around an hour, maybe a little longer. It was a neat experience to do with our kids, not only is it fun but it can also be quite educational. 

If you are planning a trip to southern California & are looking for other activities to do feel free to type in "Things to do in California" in the search bar of my blog so you can find some other great activities in California. This was not a sponsored review, we paid to get into the museum ourselves. I enjoy being able to share spots like this with my readers who may not be able to visit in person, but are still interested in learning more about these spots, or for anyone planning vacations in the area. 

Sips & Samples December Review!

 

I personally love subscription boxes; they are exciting to get & it is a great way to try + find new products. Last year I did a review on a box from a company called Sips and Samples, it was a fun box with a nice assortment of products, and I am lucky enough to get to work with them again to feature the December box plus tell you about their newest feature. In this box you'll find delicious drink options such as energy drinks, tea bags, hot chocolate packets along with fun samples that will range from food, skincare to even apparel or jewelry. This subscription cost $59.99 per box & you can save yourself a little bit of money by buying a longer subscription instead of paying for one box at a time. 

One of my favorite features of this subscription is actually a feature that they recently added. Included in the price of the box is a $20 credit that can be used to select a number of items from their shop to include in your subscription box. The items you select will be in addition to what is already included in that month's box. If you want everything in the box to be a complete surprise, you can opt to not select any products before your box ships & the person who is packing your order will select twenty dollars' worth of surprises for you. I loved being able to select one or two things to add to my box, they have one hundred and twenty-one different products to choose from which range in price from $1 up to $20 so depending on what products you find and like, you can end up with one to several extra items in your box. 

What is included in this month's box? Here is what I found in my box; 

★ Two samples of coffee from Coffee Masters - I received the flavors Hazelnut & Jamaican me crazy. They both smell so good & I love that the samples are big enough to make a whole pot with instead of just a small cup or two. 

★ Two Sweet & Spicy herbal tea packets from Good Earth. They smell interesting, I am always up for trying new tea flavors to try and find some I like, so I look forward to trying this.

★ A hot chocolate bomb from Frankford. My kids love hot chocolate bombs like this, so it was one of the first products used from this box. 

★ Two chocolate dipped Oreos with holiday design from Chocolate Express. Not only are they cute & festive, but absolutely delicious. This was a lovely treat to get in this box.

★ Christmas morning nail polish by Karma Organics. This polish color is gorgeous, it is a bold red color with a little bit of sparkles. It reminds me of the special red wrapping paper I used to use for my kids for the gifts that were from Santa. 

★ Moisturizing hair conditioner from Current. I am always up for trying new conditioners to find something that works the best for my hair, I am going to save this for when my current conditioner is empty. 

★ Brightening treatment mask from Aceology. I hadn't heard of this skincare brand before, so I am interesting to see how well this works & look into the other products they have to offer. 

The total for the seven products is $57, that total does not include the retail value of any of the products you selected from their shop using your $20 credit. For the credit I received I selected the following products.

★ Smoothie mix packet. This is one of my favorite brands to buy smoothie mixes from so I was happy to be able to select one for my box. 

★ A Sweet lemonade mix. I love lemonade so this was a no brainer to select for my box.

★ A cashmere scarf made in Scotland! This scarf is so soft and I love the color. 

★ A Caramel apple hot cider bomb. This looked good & sounded good so I wanted to try it out and opted to have it put into my box. 

So in total I received eleven different products, two of them I received two packets of making it thirteen items. I am pretty happy with the amount and quality of products in this box & think that the price point for the box is pretty great. It definitely took me a few minutes to decide what I wanted to select from the inventory shop because there were so many great products to choose from. Best of all the inventory they offer changes frequently so if you are someone who chooses to subscribe for a longer period of time there will be new things to browse. 

☕ Does this sound like a subscription you would enjoy? What kind of products would you be interested in adding to your box?

Disclaimer- Sips & Samples provided me with one box for the review free of charge no other compensation was provided. However, no product compensation will influence the outcome of any review. My honest opinions are used in all reviews, they are solely my own & they may vary from others. My reviews are posted for readers in order to provide an informed decision before purchase.

West Valley Wonderland at State Farm Stadium!

 

I am always on the look out for fun new pop-up events in Arizona that are family friendly & will get us out of the house for a bit, so I was happy to receive an invite to check out a new holiday pop-up event called the West Valley Wonderland. West Valley Wonderland took place over the weekend at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. If you've been following me for a while you might have seen the announcement I put up for the event back in October. This is the events first year, but I hope they come back again next year. 

This was a holiday shopping market mixed with a small holiday event for families. There are a few dozen shops selling a range of products from treats & food to clothing, books, toys and more. Along side the shops there were also a few local companies such as the Boys & Girls club of America promoting what their programs have to offer. 

Shopping wasn't the only thing found at the West Valley Wonderland, there were bounce houses for the kids, free pictures with Santa, bumper boats on ice, a mechanical reindeer, a human claw machine, photo opportunity areas set up, craft spots for small children and live entertainment. Some of the activities such as the bounce houses were free, while others like the bumper cars & human claw machine were $10 per play. The human claw machine had a bit full of large Squishmallows and players were allowed to grab any one they wanted when lowered down into the pit. 

On your way into the event they had a caroling group performing & a red carpet which had a light tunnel surrounding it that led you into the entrance where there was falling "snow" (bubbles). We thought it was a lovely, we enjoyed browsing the shops & actually ended up buying a few more things than we thought we were going to. I thought there was a decent assortment of products to browse, 80% of the shops were handmade sellers and others were an assortment of larger companies/resellers. All of the vendors were friendly & seemed to be enjoying the market. 

Between browsing the vendors & stopping for a little bit to watch the performers we were at the event for just under two hours. Parking was included in the price & even though there was a decent amount of people when we arrived it didn't take very long to get past security, get scanned in & walk down to the area where the event was held. I hope this is an event that continues to come back during the holidays & even possibly for two weekends instead of one each year, I think it is a fun way for families to get a bit of holiday shopping done together while having a good time. 

Here is a look at most of what we purchased while we were at the event, minus a piece of art & a cup of churros! 

Disclaimer- The Encore Agency provided four tickets for this event, for this review free of charge no other compensation was provided. However, no product compensation will influence the outcome of any review. My honest opinions are used in all reviews, they are solely my own & they may vary from others. My reviews are posted for readers in order to provide an informed decision before purchase.

Escape Mail Episode 1 Review!

 

If you enjoy solving mysteries & completing puzzles then Escape Mail may be just the thing you are looking for. Escape Mail is a fun escape room in an envelope! Season one of the series currently has twelve different envelopes to complete, you can buy them one at a time or subscribe to them all at once. They are $14.75 per episode or you can bundle and buy them at once for $12.50 each. If you aren't a big mystery solver yourself, but know someone who is, I think this would make a wonderful holiday gift. 

I received episode one to complete with my family & we had a good time trying to solve everything in this episode. Each episode will take you one to two hours to complete & can be played with one to four players ages ten and older. You'll have everything you need in the envelope aside from one or two things that you should have around your house. We needed to grab a pair of scissors, a roll of tape & our cell phone in order to get started on solving clues. I like that they had a little card that included a play list with songs that went with this episode, it was nice to have in the background. 

There will be a QR code to scan which will bring up a short introduction video on their website. This video will go over the basics of what you will need (the items mentioned above) & give you a small clue of where to start your adventure. If you ever get stuck & need a small hint there is another QR code which will allow you to take a small peek at any spot you feel like you can't get past. However you may not need that QR code depending on your detective skills. 

We have done escape room boxes in the past that were kind of meh, they lead to a little bickering and seemed to just drag along. That wasn't the case with Escape Mail, I actually enjoyed it quite a bit & everything seemed to move along at a steady pace. Some of the clues took a little bit to figure out however we eventually managed to combine our ideas & thoughts and figure out the clues. The only thing that bugged us slightly was that the all the S's on one of the papers all looked like plus signs which threw us off a little when it came to that particular part of the game. I think this episode was set up wonderfully, I liked the different assortment of puzzles types. It was fun brainstorming with my family to work on one puzzle to lead us to the next clue. I also like that this doesn't have to be completely at home, you can take it with on a trip to complete in your hotel in your down time or even have a picnic at the park on a nice day while completing these puzzles. 

I want to provide you with a more in-depth details about some of the fun activities in this game, but I also do not want to give away any game clues. We had a great time solving this first mission & we are excited and want to know what happens next. If you are a little impatient & do not want to wait for a monthly envelope to arrive you can purchase one of the bundles that sends all of them at once. 

✉ Does this sound like a Mystery Escape you'd enjoy subscribing to? What stands out to you the most about this subscription?

Disclaimer- Escape Mail provided Episode one for this review free of charge no other compensation was provided. However, no product compensation will influence the outcome of any review. My honest opinions are used in all reviews, they are solely my own & they may vary from others. My reviews are posted for readers in order to provide an informed decision before purchase.

December Beauty & The Book Giveaway!

It is always crazy that the first half of the year seems to drag on, yet the last half goes by in the blink of an eye. It is almost hard to believe it is now December & the holidays are just around the corner. For those of you who have been to my blog before, you know that a new month means it is time for a new beauty & the book giveaway bundle along with a mini update about myself and what I've been up to blogging wise. 

November was overall a good month aside from one or two negatives, I will share the high points here. We went on vacation to California which was a lot of fun & very much needed, it has been a while since we've been on vacation. I will be sharing some of the awesome spots we visited here on my blog, if you are thinking of visiting Cali any time soon feel free to check out those posts. The first weekend of November we went to a mini anime market & cosplay event, we were excited as my husband won the costume contest. (He says we won though as I did the makeup for his cosplay). I started prepping for the holidays and we put up all of our decorations on the first of December. I love this time of the year & seeing all of our neighbors putting up their lights and décor. This upcoming month we will be attending several holiday events and more that I will be sharing here with all of you. 

I know you are all here for the giveaway though, so let's get into what is included in this month's bundle. As always it is a nice mixture of makeup/beauty goodies along with a book and some other fun gifts. 

What's included in this months bundle;

🎄 A Paperback copy of "Dark Destiny" 
🎄 Makeup Brushes by Wet N Wild with a Sesame Street Theme
🎄 A ceramic tea mug & infuser 
🎄 A metal tea infuser
🎄 A bath bomb
🎄 Bath & Body Works Lotion
🎄 A pair of snowflake socks
🎄 Real Techniques cushion compact
🎄 L.A Girl Smoky eyeshadow palette 
🎄 Urban Decay blush glow 
🎄 A facemask
🎄 Undereye mask
🎄 A Mascara
🎄 Camelina + Strobe primer
🎄 Eva NYC splint ends mender
🎄 A pair of false eyelashes
🎄 A pink nail file
🎄 Black eyeliner pencil
🎄 Three silver & pearl hair pins

This is open Worldwide! Please remember if you DO NOT leave a comment on this blog post as your mandatory entry into the giveaway then all of your entries will be void. Doing the Daily entries will increase your chance of winning. Winners have 72 hours to respond to the notification email! This giveaway is hosted by ME.

This giveaway ends on 01/05/2024

Giveaway entry question: Leave a comment answering at least one of these questions.

Which item in this bundle are you most excited about?

What has been your favorite memory from this year?

Are you doing anything exciting for the holidays?

a Rafflecopter giveaway

It is easiest if you log onto Rafflecopter using the Name/Email Address option. 

You can complete as many entries as you want, there are several one-time activities and daily activities that can earn you more entries into the giveaway. Be sure to keep an eye on my site & social media pages for more giveaways headed your way. 

World Of Illumination in Glendale,AZ! Reindeer Road Review.

 

One of the best ways to make holiday memories with your family is to bundle up, make or pick up some hot chocolates & a sweet treat then head out to look at some holiday lights. We are very lucky & there are a few spots near Phoenix that do holiday light shows that can be enjoyed from the comfort of your car. World of Illumination is a yearly event that we enjoy visiting together! They have two separate locations each with its own theme. This year we visited the Glendale location which is located behind the Desert Diamond Casino off of Northern & the 101 freeway. Its theme is Reindeer Road, tickets range from $39.99 to $49.99 per carload depending on what day you visit. If you enjoy bringing your dog out on a car ride, they are welcome to join you in your car to see the lights. 

Signs to the entrance are easy to follow & although there were two or three dozen cars when we arrived, we were able to get in quickly and enjoy a nice slow ride enjoying the lights and music. They will have signs at the front entrance to let you know what station to tune your vehicle to. The music that is playing on the designated station are synced with the holiday lights & many of the elves, reindeer, etc. will look like they are signing along to the songs. 

They had a great assortment of traditional Christmas songs that have a slight remix to them along with some holiday movie songs. It is a great family friendly event that kids in particular will love, it is exciting to hear what song they will play next and see the light show that goes with each one. This event will include lighted tunnels, giant Christmas trees & more. In total it took about half an hour to drive through & view everything they have set up. I always look forward to seeing the light show each year. If you want to add something extra special to the experience for yourself or for your children they sell light up cheer sticks and 3D glasses to really make the lights pop. If you aren't near the Glendale location they have another in Tempe with the theme Cosmic Sleighride. At the moment they do not have any kind of bundle package, but it would be nice to see a bundle in the future where you can get tickets for both locations with a slight discount for the dual tickets. 

🎄 Does this sound like an event that you & your family would enjoy? Which theme do you think you would enjoy more the Reindeer Road or Cosmic Sleighride?

🌵 If you live in Arizona check out the "Things to do in Arizona" (Click or locate it on the right-hand side of my page) section of my blog to find entertainment, restaurants, vacation spots & more. 

Disclaimer- World Of Illumination provided a pass for the event for this review free of charge no other compensation was provided. However, no product compensation will influence the outcome of any review. My honest opinions are used in all reviews, they are solely my own & they may vary from others. My reviews are posted for readers in order to provide an informed decision before purchase.

Enchant Christmas a family friendly holiday event!

 

One of my favorite parts about the holidays, has always been going to see holiday lights. Every year we go to see the houses in our city that go all out & we also like visiting family friendly Christmas events that offer large light displays. This year was the first year we were able to visit Enchant Christmas & it was lovely. What does Enchant have to offer? Enchant Christmas sets up a large light maze that you & your family can wander through while looking for a number of large light sculptures that are part of a scavenger hunt along with other festive offerings. Keep reading to find out what else you will find at Enchant Christmas. I enjoyed walking around the maze with my family and it was nice that the weather is finally starting to actually be chilly during the day/night so it is finally feeling like winter. Viewing all of the shops was fun as well, everything felt very festive, cozy, inviting & family friendly. Food wise it ranged from tacos, to waffles and desserts like cheese cake on a stick and freshly made donuts. The Christmas tree located in the middle of the maze is massive! You can see it lit up from outside of the venue for a mile or two.

Along with the light maze you will find holiday lights all around the venue & pathways leading up to the venue. Next to the light maze is a ice skating rink that is also lit up! All of the staff members have festive outfits on & are all very friendly. Along with the normal staff positioned around the venue you will also find some performers such as stilt walkers which are fun for all ages to see. The maze was actually pretty large, we enjoyed exploring the area and finding the sculptures along with all of the cute photo opportunity spots they had available. We went later in the evening & were lucky enough that it wasn't completely packed, they have time slots available for tickets & only sell a certain amount per time slot to help prevent it from becoming over-crowded. Before entering the maze you will be handed a scratcher card so you can scratch off the lighted sculptures as you find them, it is a great activity for kids & is even fun for adults. On your way out there is a helper passing out chocolate & there are mail boxes you can place your finished scratcher cards in. 

The Scottsdale Enchant location is located at the Salt River Fields & the way they have it set up is that the maze + ice rink are located in the lower field. There are ramps available for strollers & wheelchairs to make it easier to get down to the lights. Along the upper level of the stadium you'll find "The Village" which is an assortment of shopping vendors along with drink booths, food & of course candy. If you want an extra souvenir to take home they have cocktails + mocktails in cute light up lightbulb shaped bottles, or you can opt for a regular souvenir and buy a magnet, shirt, etc. with the Enchant logo on it. There are also other holiday gifts available from the small shops that have set up including ornaments, hats, jewelry & more.  There is even a small pop-up Build-a-bear station! 

There are also two areas for families with small children. One is called Santa's Landing where you will find Santa for your children to visit, you can take photos yourself or a professional photographer will be on site to snap some photos. The second area is the Little elves play place, where children ages 0-7 can sit down & enjoy Mrs. Clause reading them a story + other activities. Between browsing shops, getting hot chocolate and exploring the light maze we were there for just over an hour. 

How much are tickets? Tickets are $35 per adult & $25.50 for children, infants 0-2 get in for free. If you look at their ticket bundle section they have a family four pack of tickets for $95.20 which will help you save some money if you are buying four or more tickets. They have two parking options when you are checking out they have a Valet service or regular parking, we didn't pre-purchase parking online but when we arrived the staff told us that parking was already included in our tickets so they just had to scan our ticket code & we were set. Ice Skating is an additional cost & needs to be purchased prior to arriving to ensure you can get a spot. 

🌵 If you live in Arizona check out the "Things to do in Arizona" (Click or locate it on the right-hand side of my page) section of my blog to find entertainment, restaurants, vacation spots & more. 

Disclaimer- Enchant Christmas provided passes for the event for this review free of charge no other compensation was provided. However, no product compensation will influence the outcome of any review. My honest opinions are used in all reviews, they are solely my own & they may vary from others. My reviews are posted for readers in order to provide an informed decision before purchase.