OC Mom Activities

Random Acts of Kindness...

2012-12-27T18:01:00.000-08:00

The last few weeks there has been an inspiring trend occurring at our local Starbucks drive thru. I don't know how it started but I'd heard about it - paying for the order of the car behind you. A friend of mine posted on Facebook about doing it a few weeks ago but I had no idea it had turned in to a bit of a phenomenon at our local Starbucks until last night I asked my husband to grab me a green tea latté on his way home from errands and the car in front of him paid for the...

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Angry Birds Cupcakes - Easy to do!

2012-12-13T13:01:00.000-08:00

Do you ever have one of those times when your child comes to you all sweetly and innocently asking you to whip up a batch of something fabulous for a last minute school party? Yep, that was me earlier this week. My oldest is obsessed (might be a slight understatement) with Angry Birds and when he asked so nicely for me to make a bunch of Angry Birds cupcakes for his Leadership Class Holiday party, I knew I had to deliver the *gulp* 36 themed out cupcakes. I scoured...

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Unjunking your candy with UNREAL chocolates!

2012-10-21T22:40:00.001-07:00

I have a love/hate relationship with candy, one I've had all my life. I'm allergic to something frequently used to make chocolate but haven't been able to ever figure out what that is. Every time I eat chocolate I am playing Russian Roulette and don't know if it will be one that makes me break out in hives. One pattern I have noticed is the higher the quality - the less I seem to react. When I first heard about UNREAL candy, I suspected this might be a match made in heaven...

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We Bite Stupid ~ Semi- Wordless Wednesday

2012-10-17T21:20:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we ventured out to the Oceanside Pier. The kids had a great time and we thoroughly enjoyed eating at the Ruby's Diner at the end of the over 1,000 foot pier. On the way back we came upon this fantastic sign and the pelican sitting right next to it. I've decided I need a ceramic sign for my front door saying "Warning: Dog bites stupid people". Let's convince Amy at Beachy Keen Pottery to make one up! Happy Wednesday!

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Helping You and Your Family Be Healthy!

2012-10-16T21:32:00.000-07:00

As moms, taking care of everyone else seems to fall before taking care of ourselves. We often wait until it is that bad to do something about a health problem, simply because we didn't have the time to figure out where to start. I can't even count the number of times I have paced in the kitchen late at night wondering if my son's cough, fever or weird rash was something that should wait until the doctor was in the next morning or if it was something that needed emergency...

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Candy Corn Inspired Dessert - Halloween Fun!

2012-10-14T11:29:00.001-07:00

Halloween is one of our favorite holidays. Unfortunately it's not one I have many family recipes to draw upon so I have gotten creative. This year I went down to our local Smart & Final (I always love going here when I'm creating a new recipe!). The selection and sizes of cooking and baking items just can't be found at other stores. Candy Corn is a favorite in our house so I got to work on creating a candy corn inspired dessert. Being super easy, quick,...

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Fighting the signs of aging with Dermalogica - Multivitamin Power Serum {Giveaway}

2012-10-10T21:43:00.001-07:00

I've been a fan of Dermalogica for my entire adult life! I have crazy sensitive skin and am very hesitant to many new things on my skin, but have found that there isn't one of their products I am allergic to. Unfortunately as I age, the sun damage from my younger years is catching up with me even though I am diligent about using sunscreen when in the sun now. Recently Dermalogica released a new Multivitamin Power Serum. It enhances cell turnover, reduces hyperpigmentation...

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Cloud gazing ... Semi-Wordless Wednesday

2012-10-10T06:30:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite pictures from our trip to the mountains last week. The clouds were amazing and you felt like you could reach up and touch them! Happy Wednesday!

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Festive Handmade Ceramic Pumpkin Necklace {Giveaway}

2012-10-09T06:30:00.000-07:00

I have one necklace that I without fail get tons of compliments on (click here to see it), so when I got the opportunity to giveaway a festive new piece by Beachy Keen Pottery, I squealed with excitement! All her ceramic pieces are handmade right here in the USA and I can tell you from experience will get lots of compliments! What I love about this piece in particular is it's a great way to be festive, but in an understated way. Just my style. So here's your chance to...

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That moment when you see a side to your child that makes you say "My job here is done"

2012-10-08T06:30:00.000-07:00

Last week I saw a side to my son that couldn't make me more proud. It was one of those moments as a mom when you cry tears of joy, the realization that your child has something so deep inside of them that you helped them create. That moment when you *almost* feel like saying "my job here is done, if they have learned this one thing, there is very little more important..." Last week I was a parent chaperone on my oldest son's Outdoor Ed trip to the mountains. We stayed several days...

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Little Things Remind You of the Big Picture

2012-10-04T06:30:00.000-07:00

Sometimes it takes a little thing to remind you of the bigger picture. Last week I found this note in my son's room while he was at school. It was a crazy, busy day full of rushing here and there to get things done while the boys are at school. I was grabbing something in his room when I saw this note out of the corner of my eye, typos aside, it stopped me in my tracks. Seeing his reminder to clean up his room after he finished his homework made me remember my most...

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Two Long One Short Means Send Starbucks

2012-10-03T08:00:00.000-07:00

At about the time you are reading this I will be up in the mountains far from technology (that means no hair dryer, no email, no wifi and no texting!). I'm chaperoning my son's 5th grade class as they go on their Outdoor Ed camping trip. I'm a tad bit worried about what I've gotten myself in to... but we can be sure it will be an experience to remember. I've already jokingly alerted people that if I revert to my Native American heritage and resort to sending smoke signals from the...

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New Pei Wei in Laguna Niguel ~ Plus a Giveaway!

2012-10-02T16:00:00.000-07:00

I love Pei Wei! I love it because I can combine many of my favorite Asian dishes in one location so you are far more likely to find something for everyone in the family, including gluten free options! Eat in or dine out, both are great options for families. To celebrate the opening of the new Pei Wei in Laguna Niguel - 27321 La Paz Road, Suite B, Laguna Niguel, CA 92677 and is open Sunday-Thursday from 11 a.m.–9 p.m. and Friday & Saturday from 11 a.m.–10:00 a.m.. I...

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Power of Pink ~ Mimi's Cafe (Giveaway!)

2012-10-01T18:14:00.000-07:00

My life has been forever changed by Cancer - 14 years ago I lost my Mom to Cancer. She happened to have Lung Cancer, not Breast Cancer, but one thing that brought to the center of my mind is the importance of screening for all Cancers. My mother's lung cancer had one of the worst survival rates of all Cancers - at her diagnosis we were basically looking at months not years of potential survival and this was if she made it through the initial weekend. Early...

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Mickey's Halloween Party Fun (and GIVEAWAY Tickets!)

2012-09-30T21:34:00.000-07:00

Last Friday we had the chance to check out opening night of Mickey's Halloween Party at Disneyland and it was so much fun! Each year Disneyland adds additional features to the event that really make it a unique experience for all different types of people. This year I really noticed a large number of dance parties with great music that had you wanting to get out there and dance with the characters! One fun one we happened by was Pirate palooza located at the outside...

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Mickey's Halloween Party is Almost Here!

2012-09-25T06:30:00.000-07:00

We are entering my favorite time of year! The holidays at Disneyland are magical and full of fun. Mickey's Halloween Party at the Disneyland Resort is a family favorite of ours! Space Mountain has been converted to Ghost Galaxy, Haunted Mansion has been converted to the Nightmare Before Christmas, there are special Disney haunts spread out through the park and not to forget the copious trick or treat stations throughout the park - you are sure to have a...

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Space Shuttle Endeavour over Disneyland - Life Bucket List Fun!

2012-09-24T06:30:00.000-07:00

Watching a space Shuttle take off or land has been on my life bucket list for as long as I can remember. Living here in California has made that a much harder box to check as complete, so when it was announced a few years ago that the space shuttle program was coming to an end I quietly moved that bucket list item to the section of wish I could have or maybe one day if they start the program back up again. Then it was announced that the Space Shuttle Endeavour would be making it's...

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Oh yes life will never be boring around here!

2012-09-19T06:30:00.000-07:00

I can rest assured that life will never be boring being a mom to two energetic, smart and adventurous boys. This last weekend proved it, because apparently it needed reinforcing. My husband and I were peacefully sleeping in and were awoken to the sounds of something mechanical zooming around our room. Once we were coherent enough we realized my son had sent in his remote controlled spy camera car and had it doing 360's around our room. My poor half awake husband stumbled out...

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Don't mess with my morning coffee...

2012-09-18T06:30:00.000-07:00

I was warned, but wasn't prepared that it would occur practically overnight one random day. I went from buying one gallon of milk a week to needing at least two in what seemed like a blink of an eye. It all became clear last week when I went to pour a glass of milk for one of the boys as they were getting ready for bed, it was Tuesday. I had grocery shopped on Sunday. There was maybe about a cup of milk left in the carton. So I called a family meeting. ...

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Fresh&Easy $1 Bottle Big Kahuna Wine Sale? Don't mind if I do...

2012-09-14T12:06:00.000-07:00

I'm a HUGE fan of Fresh&Easy and have been since they opened here in Southern California. I have done a large percentage of my grocery shopping there ever since! I wanted to be sure you heard about the absolutely fantastic wine sale they are having today through Sunday on their Big Kahuna wine label, if you haven't tried them yet, they are great great wines at prices that you won't believe (here in So Cal, we pay $1.97/bottle!). With all your favorite varieties like Shiraz,...

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Channeling My Inner Heidi and Yodeling

2012-09-13T06:30:00.000-07:00

I've mentioned it many times before, but seriously, how much can a person love their house? The last few mornings we have been waking up to this behind our fences... sheep! The neighboring farm (which is the next phase development for new homes) is still being farmed and they use sheep to eat back the plants in the field that aren't caught up in the hay baler. I seriously felt like braiding my hair and romping through the fields channeling Heidi as I listened to the bells...

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What's your internet connection called? It says a lot about you!

2012-09-11T17:27:00.003-07:00

We're a little geeky around our house (my husband is in IT, so it's expected). We like to have fun naming our portal to the internet (aka our WiFi). When we first moved in to our neighborhood, the cable guy didn't give us a choice in naming our connection and we always meant to change it but never got around to it. Recently a new company with a fancy fiber connection moved in to the neighborhood and everyone on the street has been switching like crazy (including...

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School is Back in Session - Let the lunch packing commence!

2012-09-10T21:03:00.000-07:00

Kids are back to school and it's time to get back in to the lunch groove! I used to find packing school lunches to be a challenge. I've had to get creative over the years because until recently Kyle (my youngest) hasn't been interested in having sandwiches in his lunch and Brett (my oldest) has never been a fan of sandwiches. Packing healthy, nutritious lunches has taken a lot of creative thinking on my part, but I finally feel like I've gotten the hang of it. Ok... so the boys coming...

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Feeling like the luckiest Mom on the planet!

2012-09-04T21:15:00.000-07:00

Last week was my Birthday and one of my sons (age 8) decided he was going to make me breakfast in bed. It was a school day, so I humored him and was sure it would get lost in the shuffle. Sure enough the morning of my Birthday, I heard rustling by my bed side every few minutes starting at abut 6 am and the constant turning on of my cell phone to check the time. I pretended to sleep. At about 10 minutes before my alarm was to go off, I was gently nudged awake by my son...

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Tiramisu Birthday Cake!

2012-08-31T06:30:00.000-07:00

Someone is celebrating a Birthday this week - me! I had to share this picture of the gorgeous Tiramisu cake that my neighbor made for me, I'm so touched she would create such a work of art for me! Tiramisu is one of my most favorite desserts, so a whole Tiramisu cake is just pure deliciousness to me!

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