Zoological Wildlife Foundation Miami: A Hidden Gem in Miami

I was born and have lived my entire life in Miami. I thought I knew everything this city had to offer, until this weekend when JC surprised me with a trip to the Zoological Wildlife Foundation Miami. This place is truly a hidden gem. The Zoological Wildlife Foundation is an organization dedicated t educating the public are rare and endangered species in the captivity and in the wild. I would consider this a private zoo as tour appointments have to be made but honestly, it's worth every penny. They have lions and tigers but they also have owls (the reason JC took me), kinkajous, leopards, porcupines and a plethora of monkeys and apes. So many animals I was overwhelmed. JC found this place online as he was looking for an owl encounter for me (there aren't really that many). I love owls but had never actually seen one until Saturday!

Yup, that's a real spectacle owl! You are able to pet it and honestly, when you are so close, they are kind of creepy. When they look at you, you feel like you are being judged by a cruel teacher at school!

JC loved the monkeys, two babies.....

see that joy of playing with baby animals, until.....

one of them pulls on your lumberjack beard!

Then it was time to interact with the most adorable animal I have ever seen...a kinkajou! This kinkajou only wanted to cuddle and be held like a baby. I melted!!

This magnificent creature just watched us. Hank was kind and let us pet him. He also like taking selfies. If you stand behind him and hold your phone up in front, he will pose!

After some more interactions (a baby alligator, tortoise, baby otter) it was time for a tour. This facility had so many animals. My favorite were the white lions (brought to the US to be saved from hunters in South Africa) and JC's favorite was Aladdin the camel.

This lion just turned 5 and is supposed to be a mature adult but he just wants to be pet!

I have so many more pictures but honestly, this is definitely a place to check out in person. This foundation is doing so many amazing things to care for these animals and I recommend it to all those traveling to Miami! I can't wait to take Adrian!!

For more info: http://zoologicalwildlifefoundation.com/wildlife-tours/

I posted more pics on my IG: http://www.instagram.com/secondchancesgirl

A Day of Fun at Dolphin Mall and a Back to School Giveaway!

Disclosure: I was part of a media event hosted by Dolphin Mall. I received gift cards for my use while I was at the event. However, all opinions are 100% mine!

A couple weeks ago, I took my kids to Dolphin Mall for a day of fun. We love going to Dolphin Mall. If you are in the South Florida area and haven't been, you need to get out there ASAP!! My kids did so much and we still could do so much more!!

We started our day with some Starbucks treats for breakfast!! QUICK MOM ADVICE: If you are shopping with kids, bring entertainment such as tablets. Each of my kids has their own tablet and they really are lifesavers while I am picking stuff out!!  The purpose of our trip was to spend some time together, just us four, and pick up a few goodies along the way. Amberly was first. She headed straight to Justice and commenced shopping. There are so many children's stores at Dolphin!!

Then the boys went and picked out shoes. That's all I can get them to shop for. They would be such happy campers running around in their underwear with sneakers if I let them! After a bit of shopping, it was time for lunch and a movie. We went to Cinebistro which according to the kids is "way too fancy!!" We watched the Minions movie and had the most delicious lunch. They loved that they got ot eat while watching the movie in the comfiest chairs ever! Cinebistro really is great for date nights and now families since they show kids movies until 6pm. After that it's 21 and over! 

Time to burn off some energy so we headed over to Cool de Sac and played with new friends. I love how Cool de Sac has something for every age range to play with. Cook de Sac is a children's entertainment center with so many play stations that my kids didn't want to leave!

Dolphin Mall is Miami-Dade county's largest retail value shopping center blending the hottest concepts in theme entertainment and dining, along with an unparalleled offering of more than 240 value-oriented stores! Besides my mention of Starbucks, CineBistro and Cool de Sac for entertainment and for dining, Dolphin Mall offers a food court, Dave & Buster's, Strike Miami, Texas de Brasil Chrrascaria, P.F. chang's China bistro, Mojitos Cuban Cuisine, Cheesecake Factory and so much more!! There is an exapnsion and renovation underway that will bring five new restaurants and additional parking!

Dolphin Mall is a Miami favorite and a must do if you are visiting Miami. The folks at Dolphin Mall have been so kind to offer a Back to School giveaway for my readers. Enter to win a $150 American Express gift card and an iPad Mini 3 now!! Good luck!

Entry-Form

Disclosure: All opinions are 100% mine. This giveaway is in no way associated with, sponsored, administered, or endorsed by Facebook, Twitter, Google, Pinterest or any other social media network.All opinions and experiences are mine. Open to US residents only , must be 18+. Confirmed Winner(s) will be contacted through email and have 48 hours to respond before a new winner will be drawn. No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited by law. The sponsor will be responsible for product fulfillment to winner(s) of the giveaway. The disclosure is done in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission 10 CFR, Part 255 Guides Concerning the use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising. For questions or to see your product featured in an Event you can contact Ida at secondchancesgirlblog@gmail.com.

Fun at the Fair

What's more fun than a fair? Here in Miami we have the Miami-Dade County Youth Fair that comes every year in March. It's miles and miles of rides, vendors, food, games and fun! It has a HUGE exhibition hall, agriculture center and an amazing petting zoo. Adrian, Ivanna and I went opening day, just like last year and we had a great time!

There were no kiddie rides for Adrian this year. He decided he wanted to do the adult rides and rode them with Ivanna. First stop was the hig h chair ride (no idea what it's called) where we got to see the whole fair!

Then it was on to the big rides. I still cannot believe they rode these swings!

Adrian still loves these playhouses though. He had to go alone since Ivanna is now too tall. How does that even happen? How in the world can you be too tall to play?

They rode the Niagara Falls water ride for the first time. They didn't really get splashed since they don't weigh much but they still enjoyed it and rode it 4 times in a row!

The last ride was the Euroslide. I actually had to get on this one with Adrian. The walk up was a killer. I really need to start exercising!

There is no way I can attend a fair without getting an elephant ear. It's such a classic!

Remember when I mentioned the amazing petting zoo? Well the only normalish animal in here were goats. There were zebras, llamas, alpacas, water buffalo, emus and....

the sweetest camel on the planet along with...

a kangaroo. He was adorable but very fesity!

We had a wonderful time. There were no lines for rides, plenty of sunshine and no crowds. Opening day at the fair is perfection. If you are ever in Miami in March, make sure to check out the Youth Fair! 

A Visit To The Pumpkin Patch

A couple weeks ago we headed out to the Coconut Grove Pumpkin Patch. We have some small local patches but this is the big one that only comes once a year. It sets up for a weekend in October at Peacock Park. We try to go every year and always have a good time. Our pumpkin patches are not like the ones you might be used to. Like I mentioned, they are at a park, not a farm or field. There is only a portion that not under tents (because it's scorching hot) and it's really a marketing free for all.

We did one nice family picture, thanks to Jet Blue, and yes our next big family vacation is to the Bahamas next year!!

Taking a picture of these two is like trying to take a picture of toddlers. They complain, they squirm, they barely smile. This is the best of about 25 that I took of them.

These two sit, pose and smile. One or two pictures and I get what I want. 

We tend to do much better when all four are int he picture together. 

Picking pumpkins....

There's a big pumpkin decorating tent where you pay $5 per child and they get a mini pumpkin and can decorate it.  It's totally worth it to get out of the sun and the kids enjoy the craft time.

 Meanwhile, I went on the hunt for an alcoholic beverage, pumpkin beer! Let's face it, I'm not as crafty as JC!

Of course there was an Elsa, because why wouldn't Elsa hang out at the pumpkin patch?

It made her day!

These two are always camera ready! 

After pumpkin crafting came the rides. There was a giant slide, swings, a rocking boat and some bouncehouses. The lines were about 45 minutes per ride so the kids chose the slide and the boat.

This might be my favorite picture of the day. The boys were all gung-ho about riding the boat but when it swung high, the brave ones ended up being the girls! Look at Adrian and Gian's faces!

We did have a wonderful time together. One day we will get to go to a proper pumpkin patch with lots of pumpkins and hayrides and apple cider. Maybe next fall!

Sunday Funday

Yesterday morning after breakfast we packed up the kids and headed to a splash park. Yes, I know my kids are older and the splash areas are meant for young kids/toddlers but we didn't care. I needed to get out of my house, get out of my neighborhood and go somewhere new.

The kids had a blast. This park has a splash area, lazy river and wave pool. Best part? My kids are old enough to be let loose. They each do what they want when they want to but first, family lazy river ride. We grabbed two double tubes and one single. We jumped in our tubes, held onto each others ankles and off we went. It was wonderful! I didn't get any pictures of this because I didn't want to get my phone wet. Maybe next time!  I actually took one lazy river pic from later on in the day:

Of course, my kids were the ones swimming in the lazy river instead of riding on tubes. Anyway, after the family lazy river ride, we went to the splash area. There were maybe three other families there (when it gets super hot in Miami, everyone heads to the beaches, best time for a water/splash park) so it was great to run around and have fun!

Man, he's handsome!!

Then we went to the wave pool. Here I annoyed them enough to take a group pic for me!

And then everyone in true form:

We had a wonderful, family-fun, carefree day. Exactly what a Sunday should be!! After the park we went to Dunkin Donuts and had doughnuts and bagels for dinner! This was our "We survived the first week back to school" celebratory dinner!! Days like this make life worth living!!

What did you do this weekend? 

Dolphin Mall: Shopping, Dining & Entertainment For The Whole Family-Plus a $250 GC Giveaway

Disclosure: I attended a Media Event and was compensated for this post. All opinions are 100% mine

I have lived in Miami my whole life and have always shopped at all the various malls, especially Dolphin Mall. It had been a couple of years since I had been and recently when I attended a media event, I was shocked to see how much it has changed. It is huge and has everything you could think of, shopping, dining and entertainment for the whole family, all under one roof!

I attended this media event with my niece Ivanna. She is 10 and at 10 any day is a good day to go the mall!

Imagine my surprise when I walked into the mall and saw my blog name, along with other amazing Miami bloggers, on a welcome sign!

Shopping:

Dolphin Mall now has over 240 outlet stores. No more mom and pop shops here like when it opened. Dolphin Mall now has outlet stores for almost every major brand: GAP, Bloomingdales, Banana Republic, Old Navy, Polo Ralph Lauren, Coach, Michael Kors, Kenneth Cole, Saks Fifth Avenue, and many many more! If you have a need, there is a store that will have exactly what you need!

Dining:

Hungry? Dolphin Mall has something for everyone, even the pickiest eater. Aside from a food court offering burgers, pizza and sandwiches, you can dine at any of the 13 restuarants, including: P.F. Chang's, The Cheesecake Factory, Johnny Rocketss and Texes de Brazil, just to name a few! Oh and if that weren't enough to choose from, there are 6 new restaurants coming soon to Dolphin Mall!

Entertainment:

Do you and your family like going to the movies? Bowling? Having fun at Dave & Buster's? After spending the day shopping, the whole family needs a break. Dolphin Mall has a Cobb Theaters, Strike's Bowling Center and Dave & Buster's. There is even a Cool de Sac, a fun indoor playground for your little ones that really aren't old enough to go to the other entertainment venues! They have friendly staff, that play with the kids while you hang out and relax!

Date night? Date night is super fun. At the entrance of the mall, there are a few bars where you can have a drink and unwind. Ready for dinner and a movie? I recommend CineBistro. This is the perfect date night spot. Cine Bistro is an age 21 and over movie theatre and dining establishment. CineBistro offers smaller theatres, comfy leather chairs and gourmet meals, no chicken nuggets and pizza here! 

Whether you are visiting Miami (by the way, they have an excellent tourist discount program) or just haven't been to Dolphin Mall in a while, this is the go-to mall for shopping, dining and entertainment. Best part: It's all under one roof! It's the perfect place to spend a fun family day out!!

Dolphin Mall is located at 11401 NW 12 Street, Miami, Fl (right off the Florida Turnpike)

Now, a special treat. Dolphin Mall is offering a $250 gift card giveaway to use at the mall or any other Taubman Mall that's close to where you live! Enter now for your chance to win!

Entry-Form