Hello, Gourd-geous: 2018 Visit to Bates Nut Farm

Happy first day of October, Readers! I've been looking forward to this month all year and am planning to immerse myself in all things pumpkin + Halloween until I bleed orange. October this year means the final countdown to baby Harrison's arrival, Pokemon costume making, spookifying our house and the start of some intense trash talking with my family as we prepare for our annual pumpkin carving contest.  

Yesterday, we drove out to Valley Center for our annual visit to Bates Nut Farm. The fields of Big Macs were much more impressive and plentiful this year and we did something different. Contrary to the advice I have been giving you for years, we visited at the end of the day, right before closing, and it was fantastic! 1. No parking fee 2. Less crowded 3. Better lighting for photos! This time next year, Parker will be posing with his baby brother and I am so ready for it. If you are looking some fun Fall activities to do around town, check out my Fall bucket list! Happy Fall, ya'll.

Outfit details:

Tee: Old Navy

Flannel: H&M 

Jeans: H&M

Shoes: Zara Kids

[1 more month until I pop!]

San Diego Fall Bucket List 2018

We may not have a dramatic changing of seasons here in San Diego but there is plenty to do to celebrate Fall! Whether you are local or visiting, here's my list of must-do events and places to visit to celebrate Fall in SoCal. Considering we have to fit in having baby, checking off the entire list may be a bit ambitious for us this year. What are you most looking forward to this season? 

1. Visit Bates Nut Farm pumpkin patch
Visiting the field of Big Macs at Bates is an annual tradition for us. The pumpkin patches are the main attraction but every year the celebration seems to get bigger and better. We love visiting and feeding the goats, the pony rides and hayrides and straw maze. Go early in the season when the patches are still full of pumpkins for the best photo opportunities. Go early in the day because the traffic to get to the farm gets crazy backed up.You can see photos and my mom tips from last year's visit here.

[Every year the Big Macs look smaller next to my growing kid]

2. Julian Apple Season
Drive just an hour from the city and you will be in a whole other world/time. Julian offers all the rustic, leaf-crunching Fall fun that you can't find anywhere else in the county. Starting early September, you can go and do alllll the apple things: apple picking, apple cider drinking (SO GOOD), apple pie eating. We love visiting the Julian Mining Company, Mom's Pies and browsing the shops on main street. Apple picking season varies year to year so be sure to call ahead if you are planning to visit a particular orchard.

[Itty bitty baby Parker at Volcan Valley Apple Farm]

3. Celebrate Dia De Los Muertos in around town
Culturally immerse yourself and honor lost loved ones in one of Mexico's most important holidays, Dia De Los Muertos (Day of the Dead). There are many celebrations around town but the biggest can be found in Old Town where you can find entertainment, authentic food, activities for all ages including a catrina and catrin costume contest, arts & crafts and skeleton displays. If your kiddo is a fan of Coco, they will love celebrating Day of the Dead.

4. Legoland Halloween Brick-or-Treat
You love Legos? You love Halloween? Every October, the theme park hosts Brick-or-Treat, a special ticketed event that gives guests access to Halloween exclusives and special goodies throughout the park. We've never been but it looks like a great event and we are planning to attend this year.

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Hey Pass Members! You can purchase special rate tickets for Brick-or-Treat Party Nights on MyLEGOLAND.com. Merlin Annual Pass Premium and Ambassador Pass Members receive FREE admission.

A post shared by LEGOLAND California (@legolandcalifornia) on Aug 26, 2018 at 7:02pm PDT

5. Mid-Autumn Moon Festival
The Mid-Autumn moon festival was one of my favorite holidays to celebrate as a kid. My parents would let us stay up late, parade our lanterns around and eat decadent moon cakes. My favorite moon cake is the one with the double yoke but I have been wanting to learn how to make snow skin mooncakes for a few years. Maybe this will be the year! Here is a list of ideas on how to celebrate the Moon Festival with kids.

6. Kids free in October
The huge summer crowds are gone and now is perfect the time to visit San Diego's top attractions, hotels and restaurants. The list of locations offering free admission to kids is massive (100+) and includes some of our favorites like the Birch Aquarium, New Children's Museum, Fleet Science Center and the Living Coast Discovery Center. 

7. Stuff your face with seasonal pies from some of the best local bakeries.
This may be a pregnancy thing but I'm really really into pies right now. Fall is the best because every bakery is stocked with pumpkin, apple and berry pies. My personal favorite places to get pie are Pop Pie Co. and Moms Pies where they make everything from scratch. Don't forget the scoop of ice cream!

Comment below if there are any local events that you think should be on this list!

Fall Fun at the Julian Mining Co.

[These stylish kids are dressed head to toe in Joy+Love's Fall/Winter collection.]

When you think of San Diego, the first thing that comes to mind are our beautiful beaches but if you venture just one hour east, you will find a little town called Julian nestled in the Cuyamaca Mountains. After gold was discovered nearby in the 1870s, the town of Julian became a boom town of aspiring gold rush miners. Julian is now best known for its apple orchards, delicious pies, historic buildings, cozy B&Bs and lush landscape of oaks and pines. For SoCal moms craving a more authentic fall experience, Julian is the perfect place to see the leaves change color, take in the cool mountain air and wear your favorite fall boots and sweaters while taking in some old-fashioned entertainment. Parker and his cousins loved sluicing for gems, exploring the antique farm equipment, snacking on crispy Julian apples and working on their carpentry skills at the Julian Mining Company located a mile from Main Street.

Julian Mining Company
4444 CA-78
Julian, CA 92036
951-313-0166

[This Appaman cardigan is my favorites from the boys collection.]

[We collected some really great stones including quartz and amethyst. They're lined up on Parker's window sill now.]

[The woodworking station has a bunch of build options including different size gem boxes and bird houses. After you finish building your project, there is an option to paint them.]

[Hannah banana.]

[Nora and Audrey are growing up so fast. They are in that awkward teeth phase right now.]

Bates Nut Farm 2016

Every fall we make the trek out to Valley Center to visit the pumpkin patch at Bates Nut Farm. It has become a tradition for us that I look forward to. I love seeing the fields of Big Macs, bins of pumpkins and the hodgepodge collection of animals. Bates is one of the best pumpkin patches in town and this year it's grown quite a bit. There is now  $5 parking fee and more booths selling goods and food than I have ever seen before. If you are looking for an authentic Fall experience in San Diego, go visit Bates Nut Farm.

Right before writing this post, a friend told me she calls it Nates Butt Farm and now I can't get it out of my head! Hahaha. Take a stroll down memory lane by checking out these photos from 2013, 2014 and 2015. 

[The highlight of Parker's day was finding a lady bug on one of the pumpkins.]

[Yup. Same size as his head.]

A Review of KidTeeZ + a Giveaway

Update: Congrats to @bongla12! You've won our very first giveaway. Thanks for being a loyal reader. We hope your little one loves her new princess tee!!

As much as I love dressing Parker up in button downs, a cool tee is my go to item when I know we are going to be out playing. The "Eat, Football, Sleep" tee from KidTeez is my new fave in Parker's current rotation. Seriously, how cool does he look? I love the typographic art. 

Parker's Outfit

Eat Football Sleep tee: KidTeeZ

Pants: Zara Kids

Sunglasses: Target

Shoes: Adidas

Let's take a moment and talk about how excited I am that he finally fits 2T clothes. The possibilities are endless now that he is out of onesies (though KidTeeZ carries those as well)! I want to note that KidTeeZ is currently switching the type of t shirts they print on. Parker is wearing a 2T shirt in their old tee and it fits perfectly. I also have some 2T shirts in their new tee and they are HUGE. Like down to his knees huge. The discrepancy in size is crazy but they are working on transitioning all their tee designs to the new tees. I have to say that the new tees have a nice slub to them and are softer. It's like humor and comfort had a love child.

Now let's get to the exciting part. The folks over at KidTeeZ have generously partnered with me to giveaway a tee to one of YOU! This is the first giveaway on the Parker Project Blog and I hope you enter and share this with all your friends.

Giveaway Rules

To win a free tee (up to $15 value), follow @kidteez and @sdmama on Instagram and leave a comment below letting me know which tee you would like to win. A winner will be announced on November 6. There are hundreds of different designs to choose from on https://www.kidteez.com/! 

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Halloween: Photos from the 7th Annual Chu Family Pumpkin Carving Contest

A few photos from the carving contest.

[Cousins]

[Parker's minimalist pumpkin]

[Light em up!]