Crazy Pita : Downtown Summerlin

You always read my reviews about new restaurants that open all around the valley, but instead of me writing the review, I wanted to switch it up a little. I'm always open to trying different foods, but I noticed that "foodies" come from a different point of view. It's like they appreciate the time and detail put into the meal more than the average person, making it that much more scrumptious. Because of that, I asked one of the biggest foodies I know to check out Crazy Pita's new restaurant location in Downtown Summerlin. Everyone, I introduce to you, Ms. Pamela Pura.

 

Upon walking into the new Crazy Pita location in the new Downtown Summerlin Mall, the owner, Mehddi warmly welcomed us with a friendly smile, handshake, & a bunch of beverage selections. My friend & I only asked for water which is usually the most simplest choice. Surprisingly, the owner offered us a variety selection of water types. I only drink water whenever I go out  to eat & I have never had so many options of different types of water. EVER.

For the appetizers we were served Pita bread with hummus, eggplant dip, artichoke hearts, roasted red bell peppers, feta salad, and grape leaves with tazki. My oh my, my taste buds were set for a week! Every. Single. One of these appetizers are more than satisfying. And their Pita bread.... Oh golly!! Warm, soft, & chewy. The best Pita bread I have EVER had. If you're okay with eating plain bread then you'll fall in LOVE with their Pita bread. No dip partner needed for these babies. Obviously, I fell into deep heavenly love with their appetizers. So deep into love that I nearly forgot to make room for the other entrees!

 

 

For the main entrees Crazy Pita served us with chicken, shrimp, & beef skewers, kefta, and falafel. Out of the 3 of these entrees my complete favorite was the kefta! Personally, I'm not a fan of red meat. Honestly, I was a pretty hesitant to try the kefta because it contained ground beef. However, with the fact that I was attending on behalf of Ashley, I couldn't let her nor her followers down. So I sucked up my food-preference pride & took a bite of the kefta. Oh..... My.... Goodness..... My dislike for red meat changed for this one dish. Tender & flavorful. Definitely a melt-in-your-mouth delight!

 

 

As much as I wanted to devourer the kefta I had remind myself to keep some room left for the sweetest part of the meal: dessert. Keeping our meals sweet & simple Crazy Pita served baklava. I've tried many other baklavas before. From store bought to homemade. Every single baklava that I've had were either too sweet &/or too sticky. Overly sweet treats are  not close to being my forte. Crazy Pita's baklava are lip-smackin' good! Not too sweet, not that sticky. My kind of dessert!

 

 

Crazy Pita definitely (& obviously) has crazy good food but the company itself is far more than that. The owner works with a local charity called "Be Kind Like Josh (a.k.a. the Josh Stevens Foundation)" to help remind people to always be kind to one another. The foundation's mission statement is "To recognize and celebrate heartfelt kind acts" & believe that "Genuine kindness born in the heart of a child deserves celebration." T-shirts from the foundation are being sold at the Las Vegas Crazy Pita locations. Mehddi, often helps the Be Kind Like Josh Foundation buy donating some of the company's profit to the charity.

 

 

Aside from stuffing your face with amazing food you may also be helping a wonderful foundation that recognizes the pureness of being kind. So the next time you plan on going out for something to eat be sure to check out Crazy Pita! Its perfect for friendly get togethers, family dining, lunch breaks, dates, etc. Just be sure to wear some stretchy pants or anything loose/flowy prior to heading there. Trust me, you're gonna need the room!

Yumz Las Vegas

Summer is in full swing and temps are hitting 100+ degrees here in Vegas. Most people are hibernating in their A/C filled home, but not us! People always wonder how Las Vegans make it through these dry heat summers. I'll give you a hint.....FROYO! I'm been obsessed with frozen yogurt from the get-go, but let me tell ya, Yumz has brought my addiction to a whole other level. I was invited to their Grand Opening celebration to sample their products complimentary, however, all thoughts and opinions in this post are 100% my own.

Starting out in my hometown state of Illinois, Yumz has migrated to the West Coast and opened their first Las Vegas location. Yumz Las Vegas opened their doors on May 2nd, 2014 and I had the pleasure of meeting both Tanner Hodson, General Manager, as well as John Barnes, co-founder of Yumz. Both of them were so humble, which made me love their establishment even more.

John Barnes, co-founder of Yumz

They offer a self-serve concept which allows customers to fill their cup with any gourmet frozen yogurt flavor, add a variety of toppings, weigh it and then love it. Not only does their froyo have the creamy consistency of ice cream, but it's also only 85 to 100 calories per serving!! Woot woot! They have also mastered all of their 50+ flavors to be fat free, gluten free, kosher certified, and packed with probiotics. Their Greek flavors even provide a whopping 7g of protein per serving. Walking into Yumz, you'll notice that they offer about 14 different flavors at a time and they rotate the flavors about every two weeks so everyone can experience their wide array of flavors. They're sectioned off into four different categories: tart, regular, no sugar added, and sorbet so there's a little something for everyone. Their toppings bar is the most extensive one I've seen at any frozen yogurt place! Anything you can dream of: cereal, candy, fresh fruit, popping boba, nuts (which are separated for people who may have nut allergies), whipped cream, and even Ghirardelli chocolate and caramel flavored sauce. Yea I know, Yumz is right!

They also have a party room, which I think is genius! It can accommodate up to 30 guests and you have two party room options:

1. "The Room" Package: You can rent the room itself for just $100 for 2 hours and bring your own food. Tanner also has connections with the local restaurants adjacent to Yumz if you needed catering help. This package is great for things such as after-season soccer celebrations or club meetings where you just want a space to gather, eat, and mingle. $50 for each additional hour. (froyo not included)
2. The "Froyo" Package: Pay $15 per person and that price will include unlimited Yumz frozen yogurt along with the party space for a two hour time span.This is great package to host a birthday party among other celebrations. I mean 2 hours of unlimited froyo for $15?! It's a no-brainer. $50 for each additional hour.

There's even a TV in the party room to stream you favorite movie. Ahem, Frozen lovers. *sigh* All this talk about Yumz is making me crave it again. It's OK though, it's a healthy snack for me and I joined their Frequent Filler Club so I get rewarded every time I go. It's free to join and you just swipe your card every time you go to earn your rewards. It'll save you $2 on any shirt or hat, and you earn 1 point for every ounce of yogurt purchased. After you purchase 100 ounces, you’ll get a free 6 ounce yogurt. After 500 ounces, you’ll get a free Yumz shirt. What's are my favorite flavors you ask? Hmm, that's a trick question isn't it? If I had to choose, so far I love NY Cheesecake, Oatmeal Cookie, and Watermelon Cooler. JAM recommends Oatmeal Cookie, Chocolate, and Cake Batter. Look out for Yumz's seasonal flavors during the holidays like Egg Nog, Gingerbread, and Pumpkin Pie.

Check out their other awesome deals!

For more information about Yumz, please visit their website http://www.yumzfrozenyogurt.com/.

 Follow Them!
Yumz on Facebook
Yumz Las Vegas' Facebook
Twitter: @YumzFroyo
Instagram: @YumzFrozenYogurt

If you're ever in the Las Vegas area, be sure to visit their awesome location:
Yumz Gourmet Frozen Yogurt
6135 S. Fort Apache Rd. Suite #400
Las Vegas, NV 89148
(702) 201-1155

Movie Screening: Disney's Maleficent

JAM and I got invited to attend an advanced screening of Disney's newly anticipated movie, "Maleficent". I can't say that I'm a wild fan of Angelina Jolie, but Disney hasn't really shown the villain's point of view so I was intrigued.  Disney made me fall in love with their movies once again with their last popular movie release of "Frozen" so I couldn't wait to see what they had lined up next. Here's a quick synopsis for you:

"Maleficent" explores the untold story of Disney’s most iconic villain from the classic “Sleeping Beauty" and the elements of her betrayal that ultimately turn her pure heart to stone. Driven by revenge and a fierce desire to protect the moors over which she presides, Maleficent cruelly places an irrevocable curse upon the human king’s newborn infant Aurora. As the child grows, Aurora is caught in the middle of the seething conflict between the forest kingdom she has grown to love and the human kingdom that holds her legacy. Maleficent realizes that Aurora may hold the key to peace in the land and is forced to take drastic actions that will change both worlds forever.    

Disney has done it once again with this movie. Without giving too much away, I appreciate that Disney has gone back to their roots and has created movies that I feel will turn into classics. For being a movie about a villain, it wasn't as dark of a movie as I anticipated. It was a great balance between evil, action, and humor. However, I think that this movie is better suited for kids JAM's age (ages 6+) mainly because some of the action scenes can get a little intense for the wee ones. My BFF loves taking her nieces and nephews to the movie theater and I did mention that last year's "Oz the Great and Powerful" movie was a lot darker and scarier for the little ones in my opinion. So, if your kiddos were able to handle Mila Kunis' Wicked Witch character, then they'll be just fine watching "Maleficent".

Disney's "MALEFICENT"..L to R: Aurora (Elle Fanning) and Prince Phillip (Brenton Thwaites)..Photo Credit: Film Frame..©Disney 2014

It's been a long time since I've watched "Sleeping Beauty", but I do remember the gist of it all: Princess Aurora has fairly godmothers that care after her, but Maleficent puts a curse on her where Aurora will prick her finger on a spindle and put her into a deep sleep that can only be broken my her true love's kiss. "Maleficent" referred back to that whole aspect throughout the whole movie, but after looking back at the movie as a whole, this untold story was more beautiful and magical than you could ever imagine. It shows a side of Maleficent that I never knew about, and it tells the tale of the delightful relationship that Aurora and Maleficent actually had. Angelina Jolie did an amazing job showing the villain side of Maleficent, but also wore her heart on her sleeve when needed. You felt her pain, her happiness, and her determination. Her sarcastic quirkiness throughout the whole movie just made it all come full circle and was the icing on the cake to make me fall in love with her character.

Disney's "Maleficent"..L to R: Diaval (Sam Riley) and Maleficent (Angelina Jolie)..Ph: Frank Connor..©Disney Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Out of all the characters, however, JAM's favorite was Diaval, Maleficent's right hand man. He was a simple raven that Maleficent can change into a human or various animals with her magic. JAM loved watching Diaval transform throughout the movie, especially into a fire-breathing dragon. The coolest thing that I loved about this character is that even though Jolie's character changed this raven into various animals, it kept it's raven-like features so it was understood that it was still Diaval. For example, Jolie's character transformed Diaval into a horse. He had all the features of a horse but he was black in color, he had a feather-like texture instead of horse hair, and his head had distinct features of a raven. All the transformations were executed wonderfully and Sam Riley did a great job balancing out Maleficent's personality throughout the whole movie.

Maleficent opens nationwide TODAY! JAM and I both give it two thumbs up, and I already can't wait until this movie comes out on DVD. Go see it!!

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Have you seen it yet? Tell me what you think below! 

New Year, New Home

So, it's finally complete! We moved into a 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom condo rental and I love it. You know what the best part is? An IN UNIT washer and dryer! Yippie! At our old apartment, the laundry facility was at the back of my building so I would have to lug this 1000 lb. laundry bag all the way down my 2nd floor steps and around to the back just to do laundry. That doesn't even include balancing the laundry key, bottle of laundry detergent, having to go back to switch the loads to the dryer and then back again to pack it all up and lug it all back upstairs. Phew! I definitely hated it and I'll never go back to a having a home without a w/d in unit haha.

We're still unpacking little by little because we literally just finished bringing in the last few items from our old apartment 3 days ago, but if you follow me on Instagram you've been seeing bits and pieces of our new home. Luckily we finished moving all the major items when we did because it started POURING rain every day after that. It's been such a pain in the butt to be living in between houses for two weeks as we were moving stuff in to our new condo. I can't wait to fully unpack so we can finally stop living out of boxes. I seriously can't find anything and I have no clue why since I packed it all and all the boxes are labeled haha. Probably because there's just an overwhelming amount of boxes everywhere. It's like a maze! Aside from that, nothing is really going on over here. This was the first big thing that was in the works for the new year and I can't wait to share more milestones and memories throughout the year as they unfold. 2014 seems like it's going to be a big year for us, and I can't wait to celebrate it all with the world.

So, goodbye Apt. #2060 and hello Unit #2088! Apartment 2060, you have been the longest location our little family has ever lived at. We traveled so much when Mahal worked construction, so it was nice to finally call a place home. Four years to be exact. You were the place where we signed out first lease instead of renting privately or living in hotels and you were the first place we furnished a place with actual furniture. You saw JAM wean off of sippy cups and you were even the place where he fully started using the toilet. You were the location where Mahal got his first local job and where we lived when he got promoted to manager. You're the location where I decided that I wanted to change my college major even after I was almost done with my original major. You were the place that saw our nervousness when JAM was old enough to start elementary school. You were the bus stop where JAM first started riding the school bus and where I silently teared up as I waved goodbye to him as the bus pulled away. If only the walls of apartment 2060 could talk. Apartment 2060 is where my family blossomed during the new adventure of moving to Las Vegas. This apartment was our home for four year and it was so good to us. I hope that Unit 2088 is just as great. I can't wait to see what memories this new condo will experience with us.

Movie Screening: Delivery Man

Man! This winter there are some pretty awesome movies being released! When I first saw the previews for "Delivery Man" starring Vince Vaughn, I was a little intrigued by the storyline. Originally based off the screenplay "Starbuck", Vince Vaughn plays the affable underachiever David Wozniak, whose anonymous donations to a fertility clinic 20 years earlier resulted in 533 children. David must now embark on a journey that leads him to discover not only his true self but also the father that he could become. 533 kids?! JAM is an only child and is a handful within itself. I can't imagine waking up one day and finding out that I'm the biological parent to 533 children. I was offered press passes to see the advanced movie screening for this movie but all opinions in this post are completely my own. To switch it up a little, Lil' Sis tagged along for the ride.

Photo: Jessica Miglio..©DreamWorks II Distribution Co., LLC. All Rights Reserved.

If you've seen Vince Vaughn films in the past, you'll understand when I say this movie is definitely "Vince Vaughn humorous". He has that awkward hilarity to him where you can't help but laugh at his random facial expressions or interesting one-liners. Here's one of my favorite scenes from the movie that my little sister and I can't stop quoting:

 

My sister and I were literally laughing every five minutes throughout the movie. Lil' Sis is NOTORIOUS for falling asleep during movies, but there was so much going on in this movie that she actually managed to stay awake until the end (which says a lot). I admit, there were a good amount of scenes that were fairly predictable. However, it still didn't take away from the excitement of the scene once it occurred. Even though the movie was comical throughout, it was still a heartfelt, feel-good movie. We were definitely rooting for Vince Vaughn as he took on the journey of parenthood head on. As a mommy I know how scary being a first-time parent could be so I could only imagine how David Wozniak felt when he found out he was a dad (x 533). Thankfully, David had his bff/lawyer Brett, played by Chris Pratt, to help him through it all. Brett definitely added that extra comical oomph in the movie, helping give David that parental perspective he was seeking. Lil' Sis and I had a blast attending this advanced movie screening. I definitely recommend "Delivery Man", especially for a cute date night out. On a side note, right when I got home from the movie screening, I asked Mahal if he'd even donated his sperm to any sperm banks in the past (I doubt it, but you never know haha). Of course he said no and looked at me like I was crazy.

Photo: Jessica Miglio..©DreamWorks II Distribution Co., LLC. All Rights Reserved.

 

"Delivery Man" is NOW PLAYING! 

Like Delivery Man on Facebook: Facebook.com/DeliveryManMovie  

Follow Delivery Man on Twitter: @DeliveryManFilm

Tweet the Official Hashtag: #DeliveryMan

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Follow Delivery Man on Instagram: @DeliveryManMovie 

What would you do if you or your spouse found out they were the biological parent to 533 children?

Growing Up In Sin City

I was planning on doing a quick social media post on an observation I witnessed yesterday while volunteering at JAM's school yesterday. However, the more I thought about it the more I felt compelled to make it into a full blown blog post because it's something Mahal and I talk about all the time. As most of you may know, our little family moved to Las Vegas, NV right after JAM's 2nd birthday. Mahal and I always joke around how JAM is basically a "Las Vegan" and not a "Chicagoan" anymore since he's currently lived most of his life in Vegas. Mahal and I  always reminisce on our up-bringing and experiences as children growing up in Chicago and sometimes hate that JAM won't have the opportunities to create similar memories since his environment is completely different.

We try to make JAM's childhood as "normal" as possible but I always wonder what affects this city has on the upbringing of children who live here. From  the flashy casinos, the half nude women on billboards, people walking around with liquor, and the star-studded events, I always wonder if JAM really even notices. M little sister and I spent whole summers here visiting my dad since I was 10 years old. I remember loving how everything was lit on the Strip, especially simple things like the McDonald's and Walgreens. I also remember walking through the Strip as a teenager and was like thinking "OMG" when I looked down at the sidewalks and saw all the "business cards" of nude women or remember looking at newspaper stands and thinking "whoa, that's not a newspaper". Besides that, we spent most of our summers off the Strip with family so it was kind of an out of sight, out of mind scenario with that type of exposure.

Living so close to the Strip, JAM sees the same things I did as a kid and asks questions but in general it didn't seem like most of it rarely phased him. He was more interested in the guy dressed up as Bumblebee from 'Transformers'. However, as I sat in the corner of JAM's classroom yesterday stapling piles of papers for his teacher, I was quickly reminded that these kids pick up a lot more than I thought. The students gathered together in the front of the classroom to brainstorm occupations for their "what do you want to be when you grow up?" writing assignment. I thought, "Oh, this is too cute. I'm going to hear the typical doctor, lawyer, firefighter, police officer type of response." I was actually pretty shocked when NONE of those options came up. It began with students mentioning jobs that their parents did like a truck driver and a construction worker. I loved that they looked up to their parents in that fashion. After that, I ended up stopping what I was doing and just watched the students as they continued to shout out their dream occupations. "I want to be a hotel housekeeper! I want to be a casino manager! I want to be a star! I want to be a singer and make lots of money! I want to be a magician! I want to be an acrobat! I want to be a dress maker for celebrities!" Eventually the teacher tried to elaborate on other types of jobs that you can still do on the Strip like a chef of your own restaurant or an architect who builds the beautiful building on the Strip. That's when kids started stating jobs like a teacher, a principal, and JAM eventually said he wanted to me a police man.

 
The teacher sent the students to their desks to create their brainstorming sheet for their writing assignment. They were supposed to write down their dream occupation and three reasons why they chose that occupation. I walked around the classroom just to see what the kids wrote and most of them chose jobs paired with reasons such as "to make lots of money" or "I can live in a hotel". One of JAM's reasons why he chose to be a police officer was so he "could arrest bad guys who are drunk driving". I was kind of surprised by that. I've heard of kids who wanted to arrest bad guys but to add the drunk driving situation was interesting to me. I don't feel like choosing these occupations as a kid's "dream job" is necessarily a bad thing, but it was definitely interesting to witness.

Have you seen any influences like this with your child?

Movie Screening: Thor - The Dark World

I honestly have not seen the first Thor movie that came out so when JAM and I were invited to see a press screening of "Thor: The Dark World", I was a little worried that I'd have a hard time following this new movie. The only background information I knew about Thor was from what I've seen in The Avengers movie and from whatever JAM told me about Thor. For all of you newbie's out there, here a synopsis of the second Thor movie in the series:

Marvel’s "Thor: The Dark World" continues the big-screen adventures of Thor, the Mighty Avenger, as he battles to save Earth and all the Nine Realms from a shadowy enemy that predates the universe itself.  In the aftermath of Marvel’s "Thor" and "Marvel’s The Avengers," Thor fights to restore order across the cosmos...but an ancient race led by the vengeful Malekith returns to plunge the universe back into darkness. To defeat an enemy that even Odin and Asgard cannot withstand, Thor sets upon his most dangerous and personal journey yet, forced into an alliance with the treacherous Loki to save not only his people and those he loves…but our universe itself.

"Marvel's Thor: The Dark World"..L to R: Loki (Tom Hiddleston) and Thor (Chris Hemsworth) ..Ph: Film Frame..© 2013 MVLFFLLC. TM & © 2013 Marvel. All Rights Reserved.

I was actually surprised at how much I enjoyed the movie. I'm not a major super hero buff, but having a 7 year old son, super heroes are kind of hard to avoid. Like I've said before, the only Marvel movie I've ever taken interest to was "Marvel's The Avengers". "Thor: The Dark World" was comical yet action-packed. There were so many twists and turns throughout the movie that it definitely kept you on your toes. This movie is shown in Digital 3D and RealD so JAM and I wore those neat theater glasses. The graphics of the movie were breathtaking, especially in scenes where they are visiting Thor's home of Asgard. I remember sitting in the theater wishing that I could be the gatekeeper of Asgard for a day just to witness the beautiful views. When it comes to Natalie Portman's movies, I feel like it's a hit or miss type of situation. However, in this movie, Natalie Portman's charater paired with Chris Hemsworth's wittiness as Thor, the movie was definitely a hit. I'm not familiar with much of Chris Hemsworth's work, but he did a stand out job playing Thor. I expected him to be this macho, "hoo-rah" type of guy, but he ended up being strong, caring, and quite funny throughout the movie. In the end,  Kat Denning's character, Darcy, ended up being my favorite character from the movie. Her gung ho personality paired with her hilarious sarcasm was totally relatable to me, and she kept the movie light-hearted when necessary in my opinion.
 

HOLLYWOOD, CA - NOVEMBER 04: Actress Kat Dennings attends Marvel's "Thor: The Dark World" Premiere at the El Capitan Theatre on November 4, 2013 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Rich Polk/WireImage)

All in all it was a great movie and a must-see this weekend. All the characters were excellent in the movie regardless if their part was major or minor. JAM had a blast and loved every moment of the movie. Go figure his favorite character aside from Thor was his brother Loki. JAM is always amazed by Loki's witchcraft and illusions. As usual, stay until after the credits role to get a great bonus scene in the end *wink wink*.

THOR: The Dark World opens nationwide on Friday, November 8, 2013

Are you planning on checking out "Thor: The Dark World" this weekend?

 

Preventing Childhood Obesity

The hardest thing about my weight loss journey is portion control. I grew up in a household where there was always four or five different meal options to choose from and not finishing the food on your plate wasn't an option. Eating the proper portions were never a thing that was brought up in the house, and I've sadly carried that trend into my own little family. This past year was all about making a lifestyle change to not only lose weight but to live a healthier lifestyle overall. The deeper I got into this journey, the more I realized that it needed to be a household thing not just an individual process. I couldn't try to improve my own health without teaching JAM and Mahal what I'm learning along the way. Clearly there was some hesitation from the both of them because they've seen how my eating habits have slowly changed and they weren't sure if they wanted to be a part of that. In my opinion, the best way to make a change is to make it fun.

I'm so happy to be supporting Fresh Baby in their mission to prevent childhood obesity. I'm a firm believer that our children are our future and change definitely starts with them. I wouldn't say that JAM is obese, but I do know that we could definitely eat a little healthier as a family. JAM naturally plays a lot of sports and being the rowdy little boy that he is, it's not that hard to convince his to run around and play outside with his friends as a method of daily exercise. However, he wasn't too on board when he heard the words "more fruits and veggies", "more lean meats" or "less processed foods", which was totally understandable. Fresh Baby not only made this lifestyle change easy for JAM, they made it easy for the whole family on our mission to healthier eating.

Fresh Baby teamed with the USDA to help families like ours to determine "What's the right amount of food for my family's plate?" Kids love new, shiny "toys" so when JAM saw the package from Fresh Baby on our doorstep he was super excited to find out what was inside. Fresh Baby provided us with: a Let's Move Foam Puzzle, a Kid's 4-Section Plate, an Adult 4-Section plate, a Kid's Portion Tip Card, an Adult Water Bottle, a Mom's Water Bottle, a Kid's Water Bottle, and a Kid's Apron (all the thoughts and opinions written about these products are completely my own).

The awesome thing about Fresh Baby's website is they offer a ton of articles, recipes, and downloadable tips sheets to help ease the transition to healthier eating. The USDA takes it a step further on their site www.choosemyplate.gov and offers tools like the Super Tracker which offers a variety of interactive features to help you manage weight, set goals, and even journal your progress. JAM was already introduced to the food groups in school, but we still went over the Kid's Portion Tip Card together. I was honestly shocked at how far off our home portion sizes were compared to USDA recommendations. For some categories, I was serving JAM double or even triple the recommended serving amount! So, to help re-wire BOTH of our brains, JAM threw on his Kid's Apron and started helping me prepare dinner every day so that we worked together in preparing healthier meals. The Kid's and Adult 4-Section plates make portion sizing fool proof at dinner time. JAM had a blast using his special plate and filling in each food group on it. One important thing we learned during this journey was how important it was to drink a lot of water. The provided water bottles made it super easy to make sure we were getting enough daily intake and we used the tools on the USDA website to track all of that. JAM would fill up his fun, kid's water bottle, clip it to his belt loop on his shorts, and off he went to play with his friends outside.

Fresh Baby and the USDA definitely gave us the eye opener we needed when they provided my family with these awesome tools for healthier eating. Thank you so much for getting us on the right track and we will definitely continue this lifestyle change into the future. I'm definitely proud to help prevent childhood obesity starting with my own child right at home.

What healthy eating steps are you practicing at home?

Best Summer Ever {2013}: Wet 'N Wild

Just when JAM thought all the fun was over now that we returned from our Cali trip, I was given complimentary media passes to check out Las Vegas' new water park, Wet 'N Wild. It seemed like a no-brainer to bring a water park back to the desert so JAM and I were ecstatic to check the place out. We went as soon as the park opened in the morning to avoid the rumored afternoon rush. Since we were visiting as media, they provided us with complimentary parking and Xpress Bands for each of us.

The park was actually a littler smaller than I expected. There are about 11 different attractions to visit with about 5 of those being slides that were fully accessible to the little kids (over 42" tall). Considering there were only 5 slides, it wasn't a surprise that the lines started to get a little long when the rush of people came in around noon. Some of the more popular slides had about an hour or more wait time.

 
This where the Xpress Bands came into play. Xpress Bands are an innovative wristband  that allows guests to wait in line for slides virtually. These bands are definitely worth the price in my opinion. The ones given to us looked like orange wrist watches. There are kiosks around the park used to reserve you spot in line with the bands. You scan your band, choose your slide of choice and then the wait time is synced with your band. You can group up to 8 reservations at one time which is pretty neat. Once the band clocks out at 0:00, you head to a special Xpress Bands line at the coordinating slide and away you go. JAM and I would hang out in the lazy river (AKA the Colorado Cooler) or grab a bite to eat while we waited. When it was time to head to our reserved slide we were usually the only ones in the special line so it was perfect. No one hour wait times burning in the Las Vegas heat for us!

Let me tell you though, it's been YEARS since I've visited a water park and this was my first time going as a mom. Whoo! If there was a time I wished Mahal came along on a trip, this would be the one just for his muscle power to carry the inner tubes haha. I definitely got a work out when visiting Wet 'N Wild and riding all of the slides. Most of the slides require an inner tube of some sort so when you're next in line, the person just getting off the slide hands off their inner tube to you so you can ride next. However, depending on the slide, these inner tubes can get fairly heavy. It also doesn't help that you have to carry that thing up like 7 flights of stairs each and every time. One of the most popular slides (The Rattler) had a raft-like inner tube and that thing was HEAVY! I'm only 5'2 and that thing was definitely bigger that me. There was no way I was lifting that off the ground to carry it. I felt bad for some of the kids that didn't have an adult to help them. Two little kids would make it up about 5 steps and give up. If I was struggling, I couldn't imagine how the kids felt. I was definitely hyperventilating by the time I reached the top step with my out of shape self haha. 

That circular lime green raft is the HEAVY tube for the Rattler. Eek!

Another complimentary feature provided to us was a locker. The technology set up for Wet 'N Wild's lockers were pretty neat. You naturally pay at a neighboring kiosk for you chosen locker (there are 3 sizes to choose from), and you receive a wrist band once you make your payment. You head to your section with your chosen locker size and you use your keyless access wristband to pop a locker open. No need to search for a locker key or trying to remember which locker is yours. That wristband allows unlimited access to your locker and all you need to do is scan your wristband in the coordinating locker section and the door pops right open. Neat! The largest sized locker was big enough to fit my fully packed beach bag and my purse. A little side note, WEAR YOUR SHOES! Don't leave them in the locker. Most of the water park is cement so the floors get super hot during the summer months. Worst case scenario, if you're wearing flip flops instead of water shoes just put the flip flops around your wrists when riding the slides. Many kids even left their flip flops at the side of the entrance or exit of the slide for convenience.

One thing that definitely surprised me about Wet 'N Wild was how affordable the food was. I assumed the food would be a total rip off just like any other amusement park I've attended. When we visited Legoland and Disneyland we easily paid $20 for a slice of pizza and a water. Not at Wet 'N Wild. Glancing at their menu most of the food was around $8 and some of those were combo meals. They offered a souvenir mug for about $12 that offered free refills and was totally worth the money in this Vegas heat. Plus, you can bring the mug back when you visit during the rest of the season and pay only 99 cents for a refill. JAM approved all the food he tried during our visit. This mommy opted for yummy goodness like Dippin' Dots and funnel cake instead of "real food" and I was just as satisfied.

It was all in all a great day at Wet 'N Wild Las Vegas. The lockers and Xpress Bands make our visit that much more enjoyable. All the staff was very helpful and friendly when needed, and all the attractions were a blast. We finished off our day hanging out in the wave pool (AKA Red Rock Bay), the Kiddie Cove, and Paradise Falls where JAM and I got drenched by a bucket filled with 300 gallons of water! We can't wait for the 2014 season to visit again, and hopefully with Mahal this time around.

What's your favorite slide at Wet 'N Wild Las Vegas?