Discovery Science Center Giveaway!

If you've been to the Discovery Science Center before then you know just how fun it is and if you've never been.... well here is your chance to go!

The giant cube you've seen off the 5 freeway is host to so many awesome exhibits for kids of all ages.

In addition to the EcoChallenge, Dino Quest Adventure, Discover Theater, Science of Hockey, Boeing Rocket Lab and Planetary Research Station there are also rotating exhibits throughout the year.

Right now you can visit Bob the Builder's Workshop and meet all his friends as you lend them a helping hand.

Explore the Indiana Jones and the Adventure of Archaeology exhibit where you see a collection from the films and real-world artifacts from the National Geographic Society.

Dig for buried treasure and go on your own quest too!

Last but definitely not least, and perfect for the holidays, is The Science of Gingerbread where you can tour the Annual Gingerbread Competition entries, learn the science behind smelling and build and race your own candy car in the Gingerbread Derby!

The Discovery Science Center is hosting an exclusive holiday event this Wednesday 

and they are giving me tickets so you can come too!

It's going to be full of fun activities, a picture with santa and lots of exploration.

It'll be such a treat to bring your family to this outing.

For a chance to win these 

4 TICKETS TO THE EXCLUSIVE HOLIDAY EVENT

ON WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 12 FROM 6-8PM

Please:

- Leave a comment

- blog, tweet or post on Facebook about this giveaway 

- follow my blog

- like Discovery Science Center on Facebook (found as Discovery Cube)

Please leave a separate entry for each.

Good Luck!!

Zoomars!

A few weeks ago my mom and I took the boys to Zoomar's Petting Zoo.

Last year they weren't even walking. 

This picture is from our visit to Tanaka Farms.

One year and they are just too grown up.

Peanut adores animals and these are the most patient animals I have ever seen.

Since when do guinea pigs let toddlers hold them?

These lovely ladies (or men) are half donkey and half zebra.

So cute right?

Is it just me or are Emu's the creepiest looking things?

The boys ran through the little maze made of boxes

and had a fantastic time doing it.

The magic of cardboard.

This is my favorite picture of the day.

Peanut was just heading into the little house when this guy popped out.

Do you see the look on his face?!

A huge bin full of corn.

By the way, do you see Peanut up there just rolling around in it?

It's the same with sand...

and dirt...

but especially sand.

Hello there Mr. Turkey....how many days until Thanksgiving?

#10 / 52 Food Adventures: Lobster Roll

This, my friends, was my very first lobster roll.

Although it may not seem such a food adventure for those of you on the East Coast,
I can honestly say that lobster rolls are hard to come by around here.

I was lucky enough to stumble on Wink's Lobster while at the Mission Viejo Farmers Market on Friday.

So.much.lobster.meat.

Apparently there are lots of ways to make a lobster roll but I'd like to declare that this is my absolute favorite.  Yes, I know it's the only one I've had but I can't imagine that it gets better than this.

Buttery toasted roll.  Loads of sweet lobstah meat.  Light seasoning.
Topped with lovely melted butter or mayo or both.
The answer should be both, by the way.

I'm sort of obsessed.
I think I might have to go back Friday.

Also, the owner Mr. Wink we'll call him because I can't remember if it was a first or last name, was super nice.  Originally from Maine he brought this lovely roll to Southern California just to make me happy.

Or something like that.

He just started up in October and I'm positive he'll have a booming business.
Wink's makes it way around OC and LA so check their Facebook page for a schedule or follow him on twitter @WinksLobster.

Also, Wink's gets bonus points for having pamphlets with fun lobster facts because I'm a nerd and I love things like this.  B likes them too because it means I read them to him when he's trying to do other things.

Did you know that lobster has less cholesterol, calories and saturated fat then skinless chicken breast?

Have you had a lobster roll?  How do you like yours made?

What did you try this week?

The Sweetest Spots in Orange County

 

Valentine's Day.  A day to indulge!

A day of love... and by love I mostly mean chocolate.

I love that Valentine's Day is far enough away from our New Year's resolutions that we can eat dessert again.  Or perhaps it's a reward for sticking to that exercise plan.

I'll be honest, I didn't make any resolutions that prohibited dessert.

I'm rambling.

In anticipation of this lovely holiday I asked my facebook friends (who always answer my article questions) to tell me about their favorite sweet shops.

I added in a few of my own and we now have a fantastic list of shops,

all of which I must visit soon, in the name of blogging, of course.

Visit me HERE for the post!

What are your favorite sweets?

Bru Grill & Market

We finally made it into Bru in Lake Forest!

Peanut had his first taste of lamb shank and a bite of these donut pops (sitting on fresh cotton candy).

For the full post come over to Eating the Orange!

Our playtime checklist for 2012

It seems that sometimes I come across approximately one million things to do with the Peanut

and other days I completely draw a blank.

Orange County is packed with things to do.  Every day.  All kinds of things!

This year I've come up with 10 things that we would like to do as a family.

You noticed that I said I've come up with things we would like to do.

It's my job as a wife and mother to tell B the things that he really wants to do with us

 but just didn't know it yet.

Find my list HERE, maybe we can plan a trip together!

85°C Bakery Cafe, Irvine

Have you been to 85°C yet?  You know, that bakery with the long line out the door...

the one with trays and trays and trays of goodies to choose from.

From squid ink rolls to marbled taro bread to lemon pastries, this is the place to go for baked goods and great coffee.

If you haven't been there then put it on your checklist and check out my post about it HERE

It's time to slow down

The presents have been opened, the cookies devoured, friends and family visited and the past month has flown by in a blur of non-stop celebrations.

After spending weeks in anticipation, always looking forward to what is happening next, it can be hard for the kids (and parents) to switch gears and slow down.

Now is the time for a bit of quiet, for a bit of reflection, some semblance of sanity returned and a whole lot of Orange County beauty.

These five places will give you the calm and quiet you need:

see the rest of my article HERE

Kula Revolving Sushi Bar

It's January and everyone still has ink stains on their fingers from the long list of New Years Resolutions.

Do people use pens still or is it just me? Are pens becoming obsolete?

Anyway, January is the month where everyone eats healthy and works out.

My solution the January mindset is sushi.  Actually my solution is not to have the mindset, but if you do, well then head out and get some sushi!

Don't just go anywhere, try Kula where all the plates are a mere $2.

Did you hear that?  $2 for quality sushi.

See my post on Kula at Eating The Orange.

Irvine Park Railroad, The Christmas Train

A few days ago my parents, B & I took the boys to Irvine Park Railroad to see Santa's Village and take the Christmas train to the North Pole.

Santa's village has a bounce house, coloring corner, cookie decorating area, games and much more.

Mrs. Claus reads stories and answers questions about Santa.

There are also lots of fun places to pose for pictures.

   When we got there at 4:10 the tickets were sold out until 6 pm!

Fortunately a very nice man was able to get us on the train about 15 minutes later.

 

The boys were all loaded up, All Aboard!
and off we went!

We passed by horses and a peacock, tree filled with lights and other parts of the park.

 

Daniel absolutely loved the train!

ad

Peanut was just kicking back on papa's lap.
Later that night he said papa out of nowhere and hasn't stopped since.

When you arrive in the North Pole there is a big stage with Santa waiting for all the children (and one adorable puppy that we saw).

 

Peanut was more interested in running around and picking apart the hay.



The boys saw Santa again and it went a little better this time.
I'm pretty sure if Daniel hadn't started to fuss that Peanut would've been fine.

Smiling, I'm not so sure but I think he would have been okay sitting there.

I like the picture of Santa and Mrs. Claus in front of the Angel Stadium.

 

By the time we were done visiting Santa is was dark outside and you could really see all the lights.

  The train heads back to Santa's Village past the trees and through the tunnel of lights.


It was packed when we got back to the other side!

Lots of excited little faces just waiting to get on the Christmas train and go see Santa!

 

It was really fun and we will definitely be going back next year!

 

Merry Christmas Eve everyone!

Newport Beach Boat Parade (and kisses for the girls)

A little over a week our friend Erica invited us to her parents house for the Newport Beach Boat Parade.

Despite having grown up here I've never seen it before.

The added bonus is that we got to see this little sweetie.

Just look at those big eyes.

Peanut couldn't stop kissing her.

He's a very lovey boy.

I kept telling him to be gentle.

You see how he's all scrunched up in the second picture?

That's what he does when I'm telling him not to do something that he wants to do.

Erica's parents have a gorgeous house that I showed you here.

We all brought appetizers and her dad made us warm apple pies which are actually the yummiest winter drink ever- just warm apple cider with a bit of Tuaca, topped with some whipped cream.

After we stuffed ourselves we headed out to the beach to check out the lights.

The houses are just as amazing as the boats.

Can you believe this house and it's dock?

That is an actual snowman in the bottom corner.

I have no idea how they keep a real snowman.

Erica says they pack it in sleeping bags at night, I'm sure they are packing new snow/ice on during the day.

Their house is decorated top to bottom

and although you can't really see it there is a santa on his sleigh being pulled by reindeer around and around on the roof.

Peanut was pretty impressed :)

Soon after the boats started passing by.

Peanut liked to wave and dance and was generally impressed with the whole thing.

Besides, I think he just liked being outside and getting to walk around at nighttime.

This ship was awesome!

A pirates ship with all the bells and whistles and if you look closely you can even see the alligator following, it's mouth opening and closing.

Afterwards we headed back to the house and ate some more food

and Peanut got a chance to hang out with his friend Mia some more.

He decided that Harlow shouldn't get all of the kisses so he passes some to Mia

as you can see in the video below.

Have you been to the boat parade or do you have something like it by you?

The Holidays Are for Giving

It's that time of year, full of hustle and bustle and lots of excitement. 

There are parties to go to, wish lists to make, holiday baking, lots of shopping, fantasies about toys and playtime and special trips to see Santa and of course, gifts, gifts, and more gifts. 

Sometimes it's hard to remember that the holidays are also about giving.  

What better way to remind and teach our children then to get them involved 

in giving to these five child-centered Orange County charities:

read the rest of my article HERE

Someone Cares Soup Kitchen, Costa Mesa

When the holidays come around we all find ourselves thinking about food.

We think about stuffing ourselves on Thanksgiving,

what to make on Christmas morning

and sweets to bake with friends and family.

What if we were wondering where to find our next meal instead?

What if we were rearranging our day to make it to the soup kitchen between 1 and 4 pm?

A few weeks ago I spent a few hours helping at Someone Cares Soup Kitchen in Costa Mesa.

I'd love to tell you all about the people I met, the fantastic food,

the hilarious chef and of course... raise a little awareness and a little money.

Click HERE for my post.

Christmas Decor at tpt home, costa mesa

Are you ready for a marathon of Christmas decorations, inspiration and trinkets galore?

I really meant to post about tpt home back before Easter and here we are in Christmas.

But if I thought Easter was spectacular then Christmas just blew me away.

tpt home is a ginormous store in the SOCO Center you see off the 405.

It's packed with home decor of all types.

It attracts designers, interior decorators, party and event planners, 

wedding planners and people like us who want to decorate or even transform their space.

Don't you love all the wintery accent pieces they have?

The products range from very cheap to some pricier items

but none of the items will compare in price to what you would have to pay

in a designer store.

Normally the majority of their stock aren't themed like you find at Christmas.

But at Christmas you find incredible displays every way you turn.

I loved the little bit of sparkle on the tips of this foliage.

Some tables or areas are simply tons of product set together in a pretty display for you to pick from.

I didn't notice them at the time but I love those green, red and white

 whatchamacallits in the bottom left corner.

I also loved this holly tree. 

Simple, modern, with the perfect amount of sparkle and snow.

Although it may not all be your style, you could find inspiration everywhere.

I love these wreaths hanging off these vintage mirror doors.

Everything is for sale, including the pieces you see the items on, like the doors themselves.

I'm really loving all the natural looking elements with snow and frost on them.

In tpt, they use the entire space to their advantage.

Things are hung from the ceiling, stacked on the floor and poised on tables.

There are loads and loads of fully decorated trees.

Near each tree you find bins of all the objects you need to create your own masterpiece.

All I have to say is THANK GOD we didn't have this place before my wedding.

I went with a winter theme and all these icy elements are right up my alley.

These are really hard to see but there are these whimsical light strands 

that sort of hang down in soft curls.

I need these in my house.  Or my room. 

The trees are in so many different color combinations.

I love the fall colors on the right.

It is rich and warm and decadent.

They also have a really impressive selection of artificial trees.

Growing up I always had a small flocked tree in my room.

I loved my little tree.

They have kinds I've never seen before.

All variations of flocking,

all variations of pine needles.

Although I've never been a fan of artificial trees (Christmas just wouldn't be the same)

I can say that if I ever decided to get one,

I would probably come here and spend a couple hundred dollars on an amazing one.

I briefly thought about getting a fake tree this year.

My plan was to go the complete opposite of a regular Christmas tree.

I figured that I may as well go all the way and flip my tree upside down like this one.

I've seen them around a couple times and I love the way they look.

Super fun and I'm thinking a future kids room with a big upside down tree....

with a little less decor on it.

I also wanted a aluminum or white tree instead of a green one.

Of course, I fell in love with this silver tipped tree.

You didn't really notice the glitter at first but the lights were just glowing and bouncing around it.

Gorgeous.

Are you looking for trees?

Ornaments?

Nutcrackers?

Perfect polka dot dishes to stuff with goodies and give to friends?

$2.97 each and they would make a perfect hostess gift.

Maybe you just need some serving pieces for the parties you'll be throwing.

Forget red and green, how about pink and blue baubles for you?

Maybe you could just indulge in one pretty piece to center a display around.

I'm still dying over the wintery woodland details.

I need these frosted pieces of wood.

I see these laying across a mantel where you would get the full effect of the snow on top.

Flickering candlelight, sparkling snow.

Frosted trees are a great way to show off bold ornaments.

Did I mention you can by the fully decorated trees?

Oh yeah.

And yes, they are crazy expensive.

I mean, look at the amount of things they've attached to those trees!

Green, blue, copper and white.

Really unique with peacock details.  

People are so creative.

Modern, sophisticated, swanky, luxurious.

Black, silver, metallic chocolate and crystal.

Perfect to carry over to New Years.

Gorgeous traditional archway with ribbon hung stars and berry accents.

Individually it may not work for you but in a display this just sparkles.

Speaking of sparkle....

from garlands to wreaths to little accent pieces, tpt has everything you could think of.

I'm wondering if they are going to have an after Christmas sale.

I'm not sure that Peanut knew we were in a store....

I mean, for all he knew I was taking him on some fun Christmas adventure.

So head on over to tpt home and do some last minute Christmas decorating!