Angry Julie Monday

Ragnar Relay SoCal 2013 Race Recap

October 20, 2013

So this race recap about Ragnar Relay SoCal is a bit overdue. It was a 2-day event which is more than your average race. It was more of an experience than a race. At least it was for me. But then, I was so overwhelmed with writing about it, I never got around to actually blogging the race recap.

Like I wrote on my first post about Ragnar Relay in May,

“Six strangers (bloggers), picked to drive around in a van, for 30+ hours, running a relay race, for 195 miles,

finding out when people stop being polite, and getting real”

First of all, I like to use this theory when taking trips with people, there are are people whom; 1. You go out for drinks with and have a good time, and 2. You take a trip to Vegas with, have great stories, and still talk to the people the next day. You might want to pick people from group #2 to do a relay race with. When you spend 30+ hours in a van with five other people, it gets a little cozy.

So here it goes:

It started off as a cool cold morning in Huntington Beach in the springtime. We got our race instructions, decorated our van, did the safety inspection, and started on our way.

I was runner #5 so I did not start my first leg until mid-afternoon. I chose to drive the van because I was local to the area and I had also been on the race course in 2012. Or maybe cause I’m a crazy driver, with my angry music!

Runner #5, Leg #1:

Outfit for leg 1: Gunmetal Sparkle Athletic visor, Blue Lululemon CRB, Nike neon sports bra, Lululemon Run Shorty Shorts (not pictured, under skirt), Gunmetal Sparkle Athletic skirt, and Brooks PureFlow2.

I wore this outfit at the race start and until after my leg was done. I also had a ton of sunscreen on too. It was getting quite warm.

So that was the map for my leg. It is hard to picture the giant hill that I ran on. GIANT! I knew that there was a huge hill on my leg, and I sorta expected the heat. It was probably a good thing that I had ran in Palm Springs several times a few weeks prior. And I had to survive only 2.5 miles with a moderate ranking.

Not the best picture of my backside, but Dre captured me and the hill! It was tough. I passed a ton of people whom were walking up it. I might have run slowly, but I still conquered it. I was quite delighted to complete it!

Photo via Lauren

I was also quite ecstatic about handing off the slap bracelet to Dre. I was now going to enjoy a little break. We did a little shopping at exchange #6, and then we went hunting for some food! I also saw some friends at the exchange, which was super fun!

We ended up at Chili’s in Corona. I used to live in that area a few years ago, and I knew that there were some restaurants in the area.

Photo via Lauren

Dre, Janice, Stephanie, Me, Lauren, Rachel (from left to right, or upside-down “U”).

After lunch/early dinner, we headed towards the next major exchange (exchange #12), which is where we would take over again, and van #2 would take a break.

I kid you not, that unicorn was my husband. What a weirdo!

I saw my husband whom was driving the van for Team Sparkle, briefly, as in passing by. And I also saw some of my friends again. It was great to see everyone’s costumes, and decorated vans. The sun started to set while we were at this exchange. This exchange was at a different location in 2012, so I made sure to pay attention to the directions this time.

If I had not mentioned before, I was doing most of the driving, and was ok with it. I did not drive to the exchange before, or after mine. But I did drive most of the rest of the race. I used my iPhone and Google maps to maneuver around the course. I remember almost getting lost when I was navigating in 2012, and did not want to get lost this time, or lose our runners. So for anyone doing these races in the future, make sure you have a smart phone on hand, you might have to use it for directions and/or finding restrooms and food locations.

While our runners were on the course, I started having a full-on allergy sinus attack. We drove around and found a drugstore for me to get some drugs. I had to get them from the pharmacy and luckily they kicked in before I had to run my second leg.

Runner #5, Leg #2 (17):

Outfit for leg 2 (17): Nuun hydration hat, Blue longsleeve Nike shirt, Nike black sports bra (not pictured), Lululemon pants, Gunmetal Sparkle Athletic skirt, Brooks PureFlow2, Petzel headlamp, and Nathan LED reflective vest.

Even though my leg was rated as VERY HARD-NO VAN SUPPORT, I was super excited to do this leg. I have found that I run better and faster at night because the sun kills my speed, and I feel stronger at the end of a day. Although it was a bit eerie running so late at night. I think I started sometime at midnight.

At around midnight, maybe earlier....I will be running my 2nd leg of @RagnarRelay. On the 76 Hwy...no big deal. Just me, my reflective vest, headlight, tail light and my iPhone. #swagnar #ragnarsocal

I was pleasantly surprised with my pace during this leg. Ok maybe, I was a bit shocked. I was flying down the hill when I started running, and honestly, I had to slow myself down a bit. I was almost hitting sub-8 minute miles which was way too fast for me. I was running around 10-minute miles when I was training prior to Ragnar. I think the combination of the cool night, the downhill leg, and the cool weather led to awesomeness. I had a couple of moments were I had to really watch the road, because I could have easily tripped on a rock or pothole, and had a really bad accident. I finished way faster than my anticipated time, and I was exhausted after running. I wanted to change my clothes, and take a nap, immediately after.

Photo via Lauren

No seriously, I did. After I did the hand off to Dre, I went to our van, changed my clothes, yanked out my contacts, and crashed on the backseat of the van. I think I woke up sometime around 4am with my van mates shrieking about van #2 moving faster than expected. I enjoyed my nap but it was time to move on again, to the next legs of the race.

We had this beautiful ocean view while we were waiting for one of our runners. It was a little chilly, but a fantastic morning to race! I love mornings at the beach!

Runner #5, Leg #3 (29):

Pre-run at Ragnar yesterday. I had 4.5 hilly miles to do. So so so sore today. But I survived! #swagnar #ragnarsocal

Outfit for leg 3 (29): Nuun hydration hat, Blue longsleeve Nike shirt, Nike black sports bra (not pictured), Lululemon capris, Gunmetal Sparkle Athletic skirt, and Brooks PureFlow2.

So Leg #3 for me. I was all prepped and ready. We were waiting at the exchange. I knew that Lauren, whom was running before me was a pretty speedy runner. But we kept waiting and waiting for Lauren, and she never arrived. We then realized that we had missed an exchange point. I totally blame myself because I was driving, and the exchanges can get super confusing. After we made it to the right exchange point, I was ready to run.

This leg was full of hills. I started with a climb up, and then I had to cross several major signals over the freeway, which slowed down my time, then I had another huge hill. After that, I headed downhill, which can be fast, but you have to watch yourself. It was also starting to get very warm outside. Even though we were near the ocean, I could feel the warm heat creeping up.

Photo via Lauren

Yay! That was my last leg to run. I was sore from all of those hills, and super tired, but my first Ragnar Relay was complete! Now we just had to wait for the second van to finish so that we could get our medals.

Photo via Lauren

And we ate some post-race pizza, we headed to the hotel to shower and change. I really need a shower, like bad. It felt so good. And then I relaxed before we could decide on dinner.

Dear Restaurants: Please do not mess with runners who have ran many many miles, barely slept, eaten random food, and have been stuck in a van for 30+ hours. The restaurant at Hard Rock Hotel completely messed up our food, like almost everyone at our table. It was ridiculous.

I have so much that I could write about my Ragnar Relay experience, but I will just end this with photographs, which capture the entire experience:

And of course, the medal. So pretty!

Relay Race Tips:

1. Research the race. Find tips online. Read race recaps and blog posts.

2. Pack/Layout your outfits. Put them in ziplock bags. After you run, and your clothes are stinky, you can put the used clothing back in the bag. It minimizes the stench in the van. Plus, plan for different tempuratures. It might get cold when you are expecting heat. Bring clothes to wear when you are not running; sweatpants, a track jacket, and flip flops.

3. Plan out your nutrition. Don’t depend or plan on your team to stop for food. Yes, you might have time to stop for a meal or even two. But know what type of nutrition, snacks, food and anything else you may need to fuel yourself. And bring it with you!

4. Think ahead. Van rentals need to be planned ahead. Everyone doing the race is looking to rent the same type of vehicle. Make your reservation as soon as you sign up for the race. Get alternates in case someone drops out.

5. Train for your legs. Look at the elevation maps. If you have hills on your legs, train on hills. If you have to run at night in the darkness, do some night training.

6. Have Fun and Expect the Unexpected! Things can and will go wrong. People get injured. People get tired. People get hungry. It is human nature. And sometimes vehicles break down!

Disclosure: I was asked to participate on a Ragnar Relay Team sponsored by Ragnar Relay. All opinions, thoughts, and most of the photographs (unless otherwise noted) are mine. I was not compensated financially but with free race entry, a van, some snacks, and tons of fun by the company.

Filed Under: Just Julie, Orange County, Photography, Running 3 Comments

October, Week 2, Just More Crazy

October 14, 2013

Hello Monday!

Hello Crazy!

Hello Running!

I’ve been quite the slacker on my running lately. My last half marathon was The Disneyland Half in early September. I barely trained for it. I was a bit whiner prior. I’ve decided to actually follow a training plan again. It keeps me accountable. So that’s why I went out and ran in the rain last week.

Totally cheesy "I am idiot and just ran in the pouring rain" face. As I opened the garage, I got a towel thrown at me. I felt guilty about not running yesterday.

Hello DMV!

I went to an event last week where I just grabbed a coin pouch to take with me. Unfortunately, I lost that coin pouch which contained my ATM card and driver’s license. My driver’s license was actually up for renewal anyway. So I went to the DMV on my lunch break. There were actually a few positives: 1. new id picture, 2. lower weight on my license, 3. I was only there for 20 minutes!

Lost wallet. Driver's license renewal due anyway. My lunch is being spent at the DMV. Sigh...

Hello Hydration Belt!

I knew I was going for a long run last Thursday. I lost my medium-sized belt. I had to wear my XL one. I used binder clips to make it smaller. They worked for my 10-mile run. But when I got home, I ordered a medium size. Yippee!

Ummm ya...lost my smaller Nathan Hydration belt. I need to buy a new one but keep forgetting. I made it tighter today with binder clips. #classyrunner

Hello Morning!

My son is not a morning person. He hates getting up. I swear he is like a teenage most days. We got up early Saturday morning to go shooting in the desert. He was barely awake!

Hello Paracord Crafts!

My son was quite busy making bracelets and collars on Saturday. This is how you entertain a kid when you take away the iPad. It worked!

He has been a little busy making paracord bracelets. He even made himself a collar, ummm dog collar? #crafts #paracord

Hello Graveyard Pudding Dessert!

Delicious. Our friend, Laura, made this tasty treat. Chocolate pudding, Oreos crumbled, more cookies, and candy. I think this is a similar recipe or what it was based on.

Graveyard pudding crumbled cookie deliciousness by @loaura_r #halloween #sugarawesomeness

Hello New Week!

Hello to Fall Hockey Season for my son!

He starts this week. We are back to practices and games. Along with the usual homework, and everything else that he has. Does it ever end?

How was your weekend? Did you do anything fun?

Filed Under: Just Julie, Parenting, Photography, Running 1 Comment

Disneyland Half Marathon 2013 Race Recap

October 10, 2013

I had not trained for a half marathon since May when I ran the OC Half Marathon. I wasn’t planning on doing the runDisney Disneyland Half Marathon but the opportunity came up at the last minute.

I immediately put myself on a training plan, and added in some longer routines to my casual running routine that I was already doing. And the best part, I was going to be on a week long vacation in Yosemite leading right up to the day before the race.

I got home the Friday night before the race, and made my way to the expo the next day.

Packet Pick-Up Finally! @runDisney #disneylandhalf expo! Better late than never!

Getting my bib for the race and seeing all the other runners made it real. I was a wee bit tired from being in Yosemite all week and surviving the drive home the night prior but I got my stuff.

I have worked on my costume for the race prior to leaving for Yosemite. Kelly helped me come up with the idea, and she also helped with a bit of the crafting.

All ready for @runDisney #disneylandhalf in the wee hours....but just maybe "I'm late. I'm late. For a very important date. No time to say "Hello, Goodbye". I'm late, I'm late, I'm late." #teamsparkle #whiterabbit #rundisney

I dressed up at Alice in Wonderland’s “White Rabbit” for the race. I wore a gunmetal Sparkle Athletic skirt and Sparkle Athletic Visor. I had bought a raglan style shirt and Kelly had sewn on a sparkly heart. She also made me a blue collar to attach to my shirt. She didn’t permanently attach the collar to the shirt, in case it bothered me when I was running. I bought a bunny tail and ears on Amazon. I actually sewed the ears to the interior of the visor, which caused lots of cursing on my part during the process. But it all worked out in the long run.

The Alice in Wonderland Crew at RunDisney Disneyland Half Marathon

I stayed in a hotel the night before with The Alice in Wonderland crew! We had this fun photo taken prior to the start of the race in the early morning darkness. Elise was the Cheshire Cat, Carrie the Mad Hatter, and Kelly was Alice in Wonderland.

We then got into our corrals. runDisney places people into corrals for their races based on estimated finish times. Obviously my speedy friends were in corral “A” and I had gotten moved to corral “D”.

Photo via runDisney

And then we were off and running!

Posing with Hamm on the @runDisney #disneylandhalf race course today! #teamsparkle

The best part of runDisney races is all of the photo opportunities with the characters. I got a picture of Hamm and me while running through Disney’s California Adventure.

I was running at a decent pace so far, but I knew that the heat would be coming soon. The lines were short for photographs with the characters so I thought I would stop and take some photos.

Loved this view on my run today! @runDisney #DisneylandHalf

What a great view on my run! World of Color is so bright and cheerful. I love the rainbow of colors!

And I made have done this after passing the World of Color….

Purchased my @runDisney #disneylandhalf photos today. Yes, there were so many good ones, I bought them all! This one is pretty epic! #rundisney #teamsparkle #whiterabbit

And then I kept running…

The last time I did a race at Disneyland was The Tinkerbell Half Marathon in January. I had a little post traumatic stress from that race because my knee went out while I was running through Disneyland. It seriously just locked up. After going to an awesome physical therapist after the races, I learned that I had problems with my psoas and worked on stretching more.

I made some new friends along the race course…a few of them are pictured below…

After running through the parks, we headed out onto the streets of Anaheim. There were people cheering alongside the course everywhere! It was a blast seeing everyone.

And then the sun came out. The sun was blazing. I already expected a hot day, but I wasn’t quite sure how hot it would be while I was running. I would say that the sun hit me full force around miles 6 or 7, and it never ever went away.

Running through Anaheim Stadium during the Disneyland Half Marathon

We made it through the streets, around The Honda Center, during the river trail and then through Anaheim Stadium. It was amazing to hear everyone cheering on the runners while running through Anaheim Stadium.

After running through the stadium, we headed back towards Disney’s California Adventure, well the path around the park actually. We were in the final stretch of the race, and it couldn’t come soon enough. I was dying from the heat!

The final stretch of The Disneyland Half Marathon

But as we came through Downtown Disney, I knew that I was almost done. Of course, I was also watching the mileage on my Garmin too.

Even though I was slightly dying inside, I put on a happy face as I ran past all of the spectators cheering us on to the finish!

I waited in line for several minutes to take a post race photograph. I had a group of people before me whom were taking multiple photos (at least 20, it was ridiculous).

Rather than a White Rabbit, I look like a drowned rat in this photograph. My shirt was completely soaked with water. My hair and visor was a mess, but I finished.

This was definitely not a PR race. I’m just happy that I survived and finished! I’ve decided that summer races are not my thing. Too much heat, yikes!

Post race with Alice, I mean ummm @according2kelly today! We survived the awful heat @runDisney #disneylandhalf #teamsparkle #aliceinwonderland #whiterabbit

I even got a photo with Alice in Wonderland post race. We were on our way back to the hotel, which seemed like a whole other race, because of the heat!

I seriously loved the race even with the heat, etc. and totally recommend it. You have just got to catch the registration when it comes up. It sells out quickly. I always recommend runDisney races for a first half marathon.

My next half marathon is actually another runDisney event. I’m doing the Wine and Dine Half Marathon which will also be my Coast to Coast Race.

Have you ever ran a runDisney race? Would you ever think of doing one? Would you run in costume?

Disclosure: I received an entry for this race free of charge. I was not compensated with any cash. All opinions and photographs are mine. I love runDisney events and Disney so anytime I get to go there, I have a blast!

Filed Under: Just Julie, Orange County, Photography, Running Leave a Comment

Wordless Wednesday: Tacos

October 9, 2013

I am compulsive about taking random photos of my food. Maybe because it is so easy. I’m been on a carne asada taco kick for awhile now. It is a pretty healthy meal. Because really, how could I not resist taking photos of my lunch from Baja Fish Tacos yesterday?

I like to take pictures of my lunch. Yum! Carne asada tacos.

Be sure to check out Wordless Wednesday Link-Ups at these other sites also:

Better in Bulk, Crazy About My Baybah, Dear Crissy, Five Minutes For Mom, Live and Love…Out Loud, Sarah Halstead, Parenting By Dummies, Seven Clown Circus, The Divine Miss Mommy

Also, Lindsey from The Pleated Poppy does “What I Wore Wednesday” every week with a great big link-up.

Filed Under: Just Julie, Orange County, Photography, Wordless Wednesday 3 Comments

The Queen Mary’s Dark Harbor

October 8, 2013

Last Thursday night, I attended Queen Mary’s Dark Harbor with my friend, Nicole. I’m not usually one to go to Halloween events, but I had never been to the Queen Mary.

I think that I’ve always been afraid of The Queen Mary because it is such a large ship. Or maybe because of all of those stories about it being haunted? It has been voted as one of the Top 10 Most Haunted Places in America by Time magazine. Or maybe because it reminds me so much of The Titanic? Seriously, they even have a comparison of The Queen Mary vs. The Titanic on their website.

Queen Mary’s Dark Harbor event occurs 17 terrifying nights this October with a sinister new circus themed maze, horrifying freak shows and more. Experience thrills and chills in mazes so daunting you’ll sell your soul for a chance to survive. This year, the Captain celebrates Dark Harbor by raising a circus of horrific spirits, malevolent circus entertainers and other unfortunates.

I was a little speechless when I approached this ginormous ship. I had to take a picture of it from my view on the ground.

A little photo action on the step and repeat before the event. The sun was glaring our face so I’m surprised the picture came out so well.

Not your average carnival...@QMDarkHarbor #darkharbor #qmdarkharbor

I had not really researched the event prior to arriving. I had only heard a bit about it, and thought that it was just full of mazes and scary monsters.

But really, it had a great carnival with attractions also. I loved the bright colors on this rock o’plane, but they also had a zipline, mechanical monster (like a mechanical bull), and a freak show which also had an extra charge to enter.

The Rhythm Coffin playing at Queen Mary's Dark Harbor

When we arrived this great band, The Rhythm Coffin was playing in the central area of the carnival. I loved their costumes and they were very entertaining.

Dark Harbor has live music from DJs and bands every night.

The Carnival Area at The Queen Mary Dark Harbor

I took this photo which shows an overview of the carnival area. It also shows the “freak shows” which are inside shipping containers.

The Captain and Graceful Gale at Queen Mary's Dark Harbor

Graceful Gale and The Captain are the stars of the show at Dark Harbor. They are the featured monsters and pop up just about everywhere during the event.

The scariest thing I see is actually the Queen Mark @QMDarkHarbor. I have "Titanic Issues"...#bottomoftheboat #irish #qmdarkharbor #darkharbor

And like I said before, The Queen Mary is the scariest thing at the event for me. Totally eerie! Especially at night!

Monster Child at Queen Mary's Dark Harbor

Or maybe it was Scary Mary waiting for me by the pool inside The Queen Mary? The rumor is that Scary Mary drowned in the pool approximately 50 years ago…

We had a blast at Dark Harbor and I highly recommend it. The costumes and make-up on the monsters were amazing! They did a fantastic job with the props and decorations within the mazes also. It was very detailed!

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The Queen Mary’s Dark Harbor event is from 7-12pm and is open the following dates: October 11,12,13,17,18,19,20,24 (sold out),26,27 (sold out) and November 1, 2

FAQs and Tips for Attending Dark Harbor

Random Factoids:

This event is not child friendly. My son, age 8, would have completely freaked out. It is dark and scary. Yes, I totally judged those parents who had small children present. A child maybe preteen age, 12 and above might be okay.

Costumes are only allowed October 31st, and November 1st and 2nd.

The hours of the event are from 7pm-12am.

Dark Harbor tickets can be purchased online at queenmary.com/darkharbor or purchased onsite.

You cannot bring your own food into the event. There are food sales within the event. The food/drinks are your typical county fair style. Bring CASH.

Alcohol is available for purchase at the event.

Parking Information:

Parking is $20

VIP Parking (up close) is $25.

Admission:

General Admission Pricing starts at $24 and goes up to $34 depending on the date (purchased online).

VIP Admission Pricing starts at $84 and goes up to $99 depending on the date (purchased online), and includes: VIP line entrance, (1) GA Ticket, (1) Fast Fright Pass (cut-in-line) & (1) admission to the R.I.P. Lounge, where you can rest in peace with only occasional monster encounters, located above Dark Harbor with a ghost-eye-view of entire event, including (4) drink tickets and made-to-order street taco station.

Season Pass allows you to return to Dark Harbor all season long (black out dates: Oct. 18, 19, 25, 26 & 31). Includes General Admission adult ticket and Fast Fright front of the line pass – all for the low price of $65. But act now as supplies are limited.

Disclosure: I was invited to Queen Mary’s Dark Harbor event and given VIP access for myself and a friend. We received free admission to the event. I was not compensated with cash. All photos and opinions are mine.

Filed Under: Blogging, Holidays, Just Julie, Photography 3 Comments

2013 Herbalife Triathlon 5K Race Recap

October 4, 2013

On Sunday morning, I got up super early and headed to Los Angeles with my friend, Alex. We were going to run the 5K race which was part of the Herbalife Triathlon. I had never done this race before, but I figured why not, because it was ONLY a 5K. Of course, I took some pictures prior to the race with friends, Alex and Kyle. I was wearing some Sparkle Athletic gear, as always….

Early 5K in LA this morning with @puckfarmer and @herbashark. The non-runners survived even with all their pre-race whining. #herbalife5k #teamsparkle #24takeover #herbalifetriathlon #latriathlon

The race started and it was a nice flat course. I should have probably researched the course, because there was a gigantic hill on the course. And right before I started running up the hill, I started to fill sick. I’m not sure what my issue was that morning. But I don’t think that my breakfast digested very well. But along the course there was a lot of encouraging people. Everyone was commenting on my skirt, and cheering me along. Even when I felt like puking (literally).

Finish line photo from today's 5K. I was making bee-line straight to the bathroom. Sickness has taken over me today post-race. Cold/Sinus Infection. But I did PR at the race. Win Win! #latriathlon2013 #herbalife5k #teamsparkle #herbalife #racecurse

As you can see from this photo, I finished and survived the race. I ran straight to the bathroom… I did not throw up but I still felt like I was going to. That is an awful feeling when you are running a race. It totally sucked. I’m not sure if it was the heat or something I ate.

But as for the course, except for the gigantic hill, it was nice and fast. It was a smaller race and everyone, even the spectators were great motivation. This race used to be called the LA Triathlon, but for the past few years it has been called the Herbalife LA Triathlon, as Herbalife is the official sponsor of the race.

As for Herbalife, I am a Herbalife Health Coach and avid user of Herbalife products. I’ve lost around 15 pounds since I started Herbalife and have kept it off for about a year. If you are interested in Herbalife, just send me an email.

The race is scheduled for September 21 in 2014. Unfortunately, I have another race scheduled that day, otherwise I would be doing this event again.

Filed Under: Just Julie, Running Leave a Comment

Almost Wordless Wednesday (ok maybe not): Darth Vader and Alice in Wonderland

October 2, 2013

Last Friday, we (the family) and I went to Disneyland for Mickey’s Halloween Party. We have attended the event for several years and my son loves it. Actually we all love it. It is our favorite time of the year at Disneyland, HalloweenTime.

I had already purchased a Halloween costume for my son, several weeks earlier. He was a spartan. Yes, totally random, but totally him. I had never worn a costume to Mickey’s Halloween Party before, but my friend, Kelly, was wearing a costume. So of course, I went into total panic mode. I came up with a costume, and the shirt that I needed for my costume, did not arrive in time.

About 12pm on Friday, I had a freak out and pretty much considered not dressing up. I think pulled out all of my running costumes and attempted to pull something together. And I did. I ended up dressing up as Alice in Wonderland. Almost everything that I wore that night was found in my house. The turquoise shirt was a dry-fit from Costco. My turquoise skirt was a Sparkle Athletic skirt. The white knee highs were from a previous race, bought at Target. The Mary Janes were from Goodwill, purchased over a year ago (brand new). So you are probably wondering where the apron and peter pan collar came from?

Well my son came home from school that day with a stomach ache. I knew that he wasn’t super sick, and most likely was overly tired and had not eaten enough earlier in the day. So going to the fabric store was a no-go as he refused. I went and hunted through my fabric stash in my office and found no extra fabric but I did find a white pillow case. So I proceeded to chop up and sew an apron and the collar. If you look at the detail close-up, my craftmanship was janky but it worked for one night. I wanted some eyelet lace for the apron straps, and my husband got that on the way home from work. So yes, I actually made the apron and collars, from a pillow case. Who knew? I was crafty, but also cranky! Because I kept pulling up tutorials and was working on my project up to the very last minute.

So after constructing my costume, enjoying a fabulous night at Disneyland with all of the super cool activities during HalloweenTime, my night ended with a bit of the dark side. Yep, I stood in line at 11:45pm to get a photo with Darth Vader before Disneyland closed for the night. Yes, my night was made. And my son was super jealous the other day when he saw this picture.

Mickey’s Halloween Party was an absolute blast. This was probably my most favorite visit ever. Maybe because I wore a costume to the event for the first time ever?

I will be writing about Disneyland, Mickey’s Halloween Treat and HalloweenTime more at a later date, but if you are even thinking about attending the event (dates are selling out FAST), here are some of the awesome events that take place:

Monsters U Dance Party at Tomorrowland Terrace featuring Mike & Sulley in a spirited Monster Scare-Off.
Halloween Screams, a boo-tiful fireworks spectacular —exclusive viewing for Mickey’s Halloween Party Guests.
Special trick-or-treat stations with candy and healthy goodies.
Mickey’s Costume Party Cavalcade, a Halloween parade presented for Party Guests.
Access to nearly all attractions, including all the Halloween-themed attractions such as Space Mountain Ghost Galaxy and Haunted Mansion Holiday.
Disney Villains encounters as they prowl the grounds.
Photo ops with popular Disney and Pixar Pals, and Disney Villains.
Dance parties with lively music, creepy crafts and activities for the whole family, and the chance to eat, drink and be (not so) scary throughout the park.

Mickey’s Halloween Party dates for 2014 are: Friday, Sept. 27 (sold out); Tuesday, Oct. 1; Friday, Oct. 4 (sold out); Tuesday, Oct. 8 (sold out); Friday, Oct. 11 (sold out); Tuesday, Oct. 15; Friday, Oct. 18 (sold out); Monday, Oct. 21; Wednesday, Oct. 23; Friday, Oct. 25 (sold out); Monday, Oct. 28; Wednesday, Oct. 30; and Thursday, Oct. 31.

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Welcome to “Angry Julie Monday’s Wordless Wednesday Linky”!

If this your first time here, HELLO! I do a link-up every Wednesday! Post a picture(s) and link back to it here. Wordless Wednesday is a great day to post an awesome picture that “speaks” for itself, no words needed.

Be sure to check out Wordless Wednesday Link-Ups at these other sites also:

Better in Bulk, Crazy About My Baybah, Dear Crissy, Five Minutes For Mom, Live and Love…Out Loud, Sarah Halstead, Parenting By Dummies, Seven Clown Circus, The Divine Miss Mommy

Also, Lindsey from The Pleated Poppy does “What I Wore Wednesday” every week with a great big link-up.

Disclosure: I was invited to Mickey’s Halloween Party along with my family. We were given free tickets to enjoy the night. I was not paid (compensated) with cash. All opinions and photographs are mine. I apologize for all of my rambling, but seriously, Darth Vader?

Filed Under: Blogging, Holidays, Just Julie, Orange County, Parenting, Photography, Wordless Wednesday Leave a Comment

Anaheim Ducks Learn To Play Hockey Program

September 24, 2013

Last Christmas, we gave our son equipment to play inline hockey. Several of our adult friends play inline hockey, and the kid wanted to play. We finally decided to get him the equipment. We debated on this decision for quite some time, because hockey is not a cheap sport, and we weren’t going to take this lightly.

First rule of playing hockey. Learning to skate.

In January, the BFF, Stacey and I took the kids inline skating at Irvine Inline. It was pretty much one of the first few times that Angry Kid had been on his skates. He was still getting used to them and very wobbly.

I added a video of him that I took that morning. He is a hot mess, but he did not fall down a ton, which is a good thing.

via YouTube

In March, my husband decided that it was time for some “formal hockey lessons” rather us just taking our son out to skate, and playing around on some of the local outdoor rinks.

While attending one of our friend’s hockey games, he picked up a flyer for The Rink’s “Learn To Play Program”. He then went online and signed our son up for the next session.

He would be attending four lessons, every Thursday for that month. My son already had all of the gear, so he did not need to check out any from the facility. He also had a hockey stick, which was really a broken adult stick from our friend, Alex. It was a little short, but it did the job.

First official hockey lesson. Other than the hockey time he has had with his adult "hockey mentors".

The Anaheim Ducks offers a “Learn To Play Hockey” program, FREE OF CHARGE, for first-time hockey players which also includes equipment rental. Participants in the Anaheim Ducks Learn to Play Program will be provided with an equipment bag, helmet, shin guards, hockey pants, elbow pads, shoulder pads, gloves and a jersey to use for the four week session in order to be fully protected on the rink. They offer the program monthly at all of their ice and inline hockey locations in Southern California, and it is recommended for children under 10 years of age.

Obviously, my son got a good workout after his first lesson. He was super sweaty, and very tired after. But he loved it!

He continued on with three more sessions and graduated the program. He was definitely into it and wanted to play hockey. He asked to play on a team, and we decided that we would try out hockey leagues in the summertime.

After he finished the “Learn To Play” program, we got him a stick for his birthday which is perfect for his size, and worked on his skating and other skills.

We felt more confident in him and signed him up for the summer league which started in July. Ironically, the playoffs for that league are today. Wish us luck!