08.17.2010 | 12 for Tuesday: End of Summer

Welcome to 12 for Tuesday, where we highlight 12 fabulous finds in (& around) Orange County. This week’s list features 12 summer-time activities and things-to-do, you still need to take advantage of before the kids head back to school.

1. Absolutely, Completely FREE Bowling: nearly everyday through September 7th

2. Beach Day

3. Cheap Movies on the Beach: Catch a movie on the sand Friday & Saturday evenings through September 4th.

4. FREE Movies: FREE movies Regal theaters at 10am on Tuesdays, through August 24th. FREE movies in the park can still be seen in Lake Forest and Tustin.

5. FREE Splash Pad Parks: most are open through Labor Day

6. FREE Summer Concert Series: you can still catch concerts in Cypress, Dana Point, Fullerton, Garden Grove, Huntington Beach, La Palma, Orange, San Juan Capistrano, San Clemente, Seal Beach, Westminster

7. Monday Night Carload at Wild Rivers: $60 for up to 8 guests (safely seat belted in one car), every Monday night from 4-8pm through September 5th.

8. OC Foodie Fest: August 28th

9. Sawdust Festival & Pageant of the Masters: daily through the end of August

10. Shave Ice in OC.

11. Surf City Nights: Tuesdays, 5-9pm

12. Theatre Under the Stars: “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum” plays Friday & Saturday evenings through August 28th & “Guys & Dolls” plays nightly August 17th – 21st.

xoxo, K

08.03.2010 | 12 for: MUST-eats at the OC Fair

Welcome to 12 for Tuesday where we highlight 12 fabulous finds in & around Orange County. This week we are featuring 12 things you MUST EAT while attending the OC Fair. They are listed in no particular order, & if we’ve missed your favorite fair treat, be sure to list it in the comments below!

1. Turkey Legs
2. Cheese-on-a-Stick & Giant Corn Dogs
3. MEXICAN Funnel Cake
4. Sourdough Cheese bread with Toppings
5. Grilled Corn on the Cob
6. Apple Fries
7. Chocolate Covered Bacon
8. Deep fried cupcakes, Oreos, onions, Snickers, Twinkie, pickles, sweet potatoes, vegetables & zucchini
9. Battered Potatoes & Baked Sweet Potatoes
10. Cotton Candy
11. Marshmellow Yammies
12. Bacon Wrapped Hot Dogs

For a complete list of food & vendor locations at the OC Fair, go HERE.

xoxo, K

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07.27.2010 | 12 for Tuesday: shave ice in the oc

Welcome to 12 for Tuesday, where we highlight 12 great finds in & around Orange County. Today we are featuring 12 places to get your fix – your shaved ice fix that is. Some of these place offer “Hawaiian Shave Ice,” others serve ” Italian Ice” or “New Orleans style Shaved Ice,” whatever they are serving, it’s sure to cool you down on a hot summer day.

1. The Balcony Grill & Bar: Irvine
2. Cafe Java Bru: Buena Park
3. Cefiore: Huntington Beach, Garden Grove, Newport Beach
4. Champion Food Co: Irvine
5. Giggidy Goo Hawaiian Ice: Orange
6. Guppy Tea House: Anaheim, Irvine, Cerritos
7. Joe’s Italian Ice: Garden Grove
8. Milk + Honey: Costa Mesa
9. Mochilato: Irvine
10. The Nutty Hawaiian: San Clemente
11. Sno on the GoHuntington BeachMission Viejo
12. Sticky Fingers: Irvine

Tropical Shave Ice: mobile Hawaiian Shave Ice truck. Check their Calendar or Facebook for their scheduled stops. For up-to-the-minute updates or or follow them on Twitter.

Outside the OC:
Aloha Food Factory: Alhambra
Cefiore: Arcadia, Claremont, Little Tokyo, Hollywood, San Francisco
Guppy Tea House: Hacienda Heights
Teri Hawaii: Gardena
Shave It: Norwalk, Thousand Oaks, Valencia & Mobile Truck
Stevie’s Shave Ice: Glendale

Shaved Ice Catering Companies serving the OC:
CJ’s Shave Ice
Hula Girls Shave Ice
Kona Ice

xoxo, K

07.20.2010 | 12 for tuesday: kid-friendly (disc & mini) golf courses

Welcome to 12 for Tuesday, where we highlight 12 great finds in & around Orange County. This week we are featuring 12 golf courses you (& the kids) will LOVE. I don’t know about you, but when I was a kid I loved playing frisbee golf (although these days they call it “Disc Golf”) & miniature golf. Can’t wait to see if my kids enjoy it as much as I do. Unless otherwise noted, the “Disc Golf” courses are FREE, although the courses tend to be BYOF (bring your own frisbee). Want to make it even more challenging? Try Disc Golfing at night…

1. Twila-Reid Park, 3100 W. Orange Ave.,  Anaheim: FREE 9-Hole Disc Golf Course

2. Liberty Park, 19211 Studebaker Road, Cerritos: FREE 9-Hole Disc Golf Course

3. Prado Regional Park, 16700 S. Euclid Ave., Chino:  FREE 18-Hole Disc Golf Course (parking fee $7 M-F, $10 on weekends)

4. River Walk Park, 7674 Soaring Bird Court, Corona: FREE 7-Hole Disc Golf Course

5. Deerfield Park, 55 Deerwood West, Irvine: FREE 9-Hole Disc Golf Course

6. Huntington Beach Central Park, 18000 Goldenwest St., HB (west side of Goldenwest, across the street from the Sports Complex): 18-Hole Disc Golf Course, cost ranges from $1 on weekdays to $2 on weekends.

7. La Mirada Regional Park, Alicante Road & Adelfa Drive, La Mirada: FREE 36-Hole Disc Golf Course

8. El Dorado Park West, 2800 Studebaker Road, Long Beach: FREE 18-Hole Disc Golf Course

9. Frontier Park, 1400 Mitchell Ave., Tustin: FREE 9-Hole Disc Golf Course

10. Camelot Golfland, 3200 Carpenter Ave., Anaheim: prices start at $7.95 for adults, $7.45 for children 11 & under, and FREE for children ages 4 & under (one additional 18 hole course replay available for $4)

11. Boomer’s Miniature Golf, Fountain Valley & Irvine: prices vary depending on location

12. Golf n’ Stuff, 10555 E. Firestone Blvd., Norwalk: $8.50 per person, children 3 or younger are FREE with one paid round, find coupons HERE.

xoxo, K

07.13.2010 | 12 for Tuesday: oc food trucks

Welcome to 12 for Tuesday, where we highlight 12 great finds in & around Orange County… If you haven’t already jumped on the food truck craze, I can pretty much guarantee that by the end of this post, you will definitely have a hankering for some gourmet roach coach delectables, because today we are featuring 12 Orange County food trucks that can’t be missed! So without further ado, 12 tasty food trucks that will have you licking your lips & wanting more (in alphabetical order):

1. Barcelona on the Go: They “combine wholesome, traditional Spanish recipes with modern cooking techniques & local products to bring unsurpassed quality and taste to our customers.” For their latest schedule & stop locations follow Barcelona on the Go on Twitter, on Facebook, or check their Calendar.

2. Dos Chinos: “Dos Chinos just doesn’t want to offer Asian food wrapped up in tortillas, but we want to give people a true marriage of Latin and Asian flavors. We believe that these flavor profiles are destined to be together.” For their latest schedule & stop locations follow Dos Chinos on Twitter, or on Facebook.

3. Crepes Bonaparte: “Home to GASTON the crepe truck, providing French crepes on the go to Orange County & Los Angeles.” For their latest schedule & stop locations follow Crepes Bonaparte on Twitter, on Facebook, or check their Calendar.

4. Kogi BBQ: “Traveling Los Angeles & Orange County landmark that serves up korean Mexican tacos, day and night. Spicy Pork Tacos, Kimchi Quesadillas and Short Rib Sliders satiate the hugry mouth of those who crave excellent food on a dime budget.” For their latest schedule & stop locations follow Kogi BBQ on Twitter, on Facebook, or check their Calendar.

5. The Lime Truck: “Lime was created to fill a void; Orange County needed us. We wanted to deliver amazing fresh food to people who are on the go, people cramped in office cubicles every day and provide delicious food made with high quality ingredients to our fellow insomniacs during our sild late nights.” For their latest schedule & stop locations follow The Lime Truck on Twitter, on Facebook, or check their Calendar.

6. Longboards Ice Cream: “A classic surfboard is handcrafted with extreme care and reverence for the sport. Longboards Vintage Ice Cream is created with this same passions. Our distinctive recipes combine rich ingredients to create mouthwatering flavors.” For their latest schedule & stop locations follow the Longboards Ice Cream Van on Twitter, on Facebook.

7. Louks to Go: “Louks owner, Aki Vourakis, is a first generation Greek-American. The menu is comprised of Aki’s favorite cuisine during his visits to Greece.” For their latest schedule & stop locations follow Louks to Go on Twitter, on Facebook, or check their Calendar.

8. Oh For Sweets Sake: “Orange County’s first mobile cupcakery! We have cupcakes, bundt cakes, and even whoopie pies. All of our products are made with the finest ingredients & baked fresh daily. Wih over 20 flavors (and counting) to choose from Oh For Sweets Sake will satisfy even the most discerning sweet tooth.” For their latest schedule & stop locations follow Oh For Sweets Sake on Twitter, on Facebook, or check their Calendar.

9. Piaggio on Wheels: “OC-based Argentine taco truck. Empanadas, skirt steak tacos, chimichurri, sausage and lomito sandwiches, dulce de leche. Chef Piaggio on board at your service!” For their latest schedule & stop locations follow Piaggio on Wheels on Twitter, or check their Calendar.

10. Seabirds Truck: “The mission of Seabirds is to bring convenience to high quality, healthful food. We have a 100% plant based menu that changes with the seasons… We use all organic produce that’s as local as possible. We get as much as we can from our neighboring organic farms right here in OC. Raw and Gluten-Free options.” For their latest schedule & stop locations follow Seabirds Truck on Twitter, on Facebook, or check their Calendar.

11. Taco Dawg: “Tacos go in a shell, Hot Dawgs go in a bun, both so delicious and so similar that its hard to decide between which one thats why at Taco Dawg you dont have to. You can enjoy one of our all beef natural casing Vienna hot dawgs served in our fresh buns baked fresh daily especially for us. Or try one our grade A tacos seasoned to perfection and ranging from the traditional to Cuban from Texas to Korean we have a taste to satisfy every palate. You still can’t decide? Well… have our soon to be famous Taco Dawg, it’s the perfect collision of cultures who from the time of their creation were destined to be together.” For their latest schedule & stop locations follow Taco Dawg on Twitter, on Facebook, or check their Calendar.

12. Tropical Shave Ice: “Southern California’s (& Orange County’s) first Hawaiian Shave Ice Truck specializing in Hawaiian Shave Ice.” For their latest schedule & stop locations follow Tropical Shave Ice on Twitter.

So who’s ready to hit the streets & chase down some of these tasty gourmet food trucks?!

xoxo, K

06.15.2010 | 12 for Tuesday: Family Friendly Beaches

Welcome to 12 for Tuesday, where we highlight 12 great finds in & around Orange County. This week we are featuring 12 family & kid friendly beaches in Orange County.

1. Aliso Beach: sandy beach, rock promontories, scenic coastal foothills, marine life refuge borders the north & south, tide pool exploration, concession stands offering food & beach supplies, metered public parking lot, restrooms, fire pits, & PLAYGROUND.
2. Balboa Pier Beach: easy access with metered parking, restrooms & showers, Ruby’s on the pier, & a fantastic PLAYGROUND.
3. Bayside Drive Beach: a quieter than normal beach, free street parking, restrooms & children’s SWINGS.
4. Bolsa Chica State Beach: metered parking, restrooms, fire pits, snack bar concessions.
5. Doheney State Beach: campsites, restrooms, volleyball courts, food concession, metered parking, fire pits, aquarium & more.
6. Huntington City Beach: metered parking, food, restrooms, showers, & Ruby’s on the pier.
7. Little Corona Del mar Beach: free street parking, tide pools.
8. Mother’s Beach in Long Beach: volleyball, picnic sites, calm waters, restrooms, grassy lawn, metered parking & PLAYGROUND.
9. North Beach in San Clemente: fire pits, picnic tables, train tracks, metered parking & PLAYGROUND.
10. Rocky Point beach in Corona del Mar: free street parking, beautiful, scenic beach perfect for explorations.
11. San Clemente Pier Beach: restrooms, food concessions, fishing & SWINGS on either side of the pier.
12. Seal Beach: metered parking, nearby food concessions & PLAYGROUND.

For more information on Orange County’s local beaches visit: OC Beaches, OC Parks & Beaches, & BeachCalifornia.com.

xoxo, K

06.01.2010 | 12 for Tuesday: Splash Pads

Welcome to 12 for Tuesday, where we highlight 12 great finds in & around Orange County. This week we are featuring 12 places to get your “splash” on in Orange County.

1. Walnut Grove Park Water Features: 905 South Anaheim Blvd, Anaheim
2. Larwin Spray Pool: 6161 Ball Road, Buena Park.
3. Brenner Park Tiny Tot Wading Pool: 7373 San Rafael Dr., Buena Park. Open to parents with children ages 6 & under. Pool is 25 feet long & 1-2 feet deep.
4. Adlena Park Spray Pool: 300 N. Adlena Dr., Fullerton
5. Downtown Plaza Interactive, Pop-up Fountains: 125 E. Wilshire Ave., Fullerton
6. Lemon Park Spray Pool: 701 S. Lemon, Fullerton
7. Valencia Park Wading Pool: 2425 W. Valencia Dr, Fullerton.
8. Irvine Spectrum Center Pop-up Fountains: 71 Fortune Dr., Irvine. 2 sets of fountains: one “larger splash” play zone near the movie theater & restaurant area, another “smaller splash” play zone near Target.
9. Pioneer Road Park Water Feature Play Area: 10250 pioneer Rd., Tustin
10. The District Pop-up Fountains: Jamboree Road & Barranca Parkway, Tustin. Pop-up fountains located in front of Strike Orange Couny
11. Pop-up Fountain Play Area: Main St. & Prospect Ave., Tustin. Fountains located behind the City of Tustin sign.
12. Sigler Park Splash Pad: 7200 Plaza St. Westminster

A few other places you can take the kids to get wet, that didn’t quite make the list (because they aren’t open to the general public, or there is a fee required):

* Ladera Ranch: Boreal Plunge, Canterra Plunge, Celestial Plunge, Cherry Plunge, Creighton Plunge, Township Plunge, Terramor Aquatic Park. Move to Ladera Ranch, or at least make friends with someone who lives there, because all of these “plunges” require Ladera Ranch key card access.
* Slyders Water Playground: Huntington Beach Hyatt, $35 for adults, $20 for children ages 2-12
* Soak City: Buena Park, $25.99 for ages 12 & up, $19.99 for 3-11
* Splash!: La Mirada. $17 for general admission, $12 for kids (under 48″)
* Wild Rivers: Irvine. $32.98 for general admission, $19.98 for kids (under 48″)
* Disney’s California Adventure: water features & pop-up fountains outside “a bug’s land.”

xoxo, K

05.25.2010 | 12 for Tuesday: Preschool Edition

Welcome to Twelve for Tuesday, a weekly post that highlights twelve great finds in the OC. This week we are sharing the 12 (+1) best Preschools in Orange County as nominated by our readers, listed in alphabetical order by city:

1. Hephatha Lutheran Preschool: Anaheim, (714)637-0887

2. Vineyard Christian Preschool: Anaheim, (714)777-5440

3. Early Childhood LAB School: Costa Mesa, (714)432-5517

4. Lil’ Lighthouse Preschool: Costa Mesa, (949)631-7294

5. Parent Smart Preschool & Toddler Program: thru Huntington Beach Adult School, (714)901-8106, ext. 4405

6. Good Shepherd Lutheran Preschool: Irvine, (949)552-1967

7. St. Andrew’s Children’s Center & Preschool: Irvine, (949)651-0198 ext. 12

8. Grace Christian Preschool: Lake Forest, (949)951-8683

9. Lakeview Learning Center: Lake Forest, (949)837-6100

10. Shepherd of the Hills United Methodist Preschool: Mission Viejo

11. The Creek Preschool & Kindergarten: Orange, (714)633-0402

12. Childtime Preschool Program: Santa Ana, (714)544-6820

13. St. Pauls Preschool: Tustin, (714)665-1326

So, this list is fabulous. Definitely a great jumping off point if you’re in the market for a good preschool. But we are curious girls by nature, & we want to KNOW which Orange County Preschool really is the BEST – at least in the eyes of our readers. So we’ve developed a little competition of sorts, a means for you our readers to vote & make the ultimate decision of which Orange County Preschool really is the BEST. So vote for your absolute, most favorite OC Preschool (& tell your friends, neighbors & school-mates to do the same), the Preschool will the most votes will be crowned The BEST Orange County Preschool. Act Fast… voting, will be open until midnight, Wednesday, June 2nd.

Voting has closed. To see the winners go HERE.

xoxo, K

Just Spotted received no compensation, of any kind, for this post.

05.18.2010 | 12 for Tuesday (& then some): Summer Camp in OC


Now most of you probably don’t even realize, but our very own Coleen leads a double life. When she’s not scouting out the latest & greatest in & around Orange County, she’s an independent college admission consultant… Ms. College Admissions. For the past 5+ years she’s been helping students of all ages (from 7th grade on) plan, apply & prepare for college.

With summer fast approaching, I knew Coleen would have the low-down on the best summer camps & programs Orange County has to offer. Just a fore-warning… although we tried, there were just too many fabulous camp programs, to limit our list to 12. That being said, this is officially a 12 for Tuesday (& then some) list.

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As Ms. College Admissions sometimes I feel like I don’t get to tell kids to just have fun. Summer is a great time when busy students can finally lean a little more toward discovery and fun vs. test taking and memorization. Here are some of my favorite summer programs offered in Orange County for kids:

Discovery and Adventure
Ocean Institute
Starr Ranch Sanctuary
Zoomar’s Summer Camp
Discovery Science Center
Irvine Ranch Outdoor Education Center
Pacific Marine Mammal Center
Young Chefs Academy

Arts and Theater
Laguna Playhouse
Yorba Linda Theater
South Coast Reperatory
Mission Art Center

Athletics
Etnies Skate Camp
Soul Surfing School
Horseback Riding
UCI Sports Camps
Titan Youth Sports Camp

Technology
ID Tech Camps
Mathbotix

Academic
UCI Writer’s Project
St. Margaret’s Summer Program
Sage Hill School Summer Program

College for Kids (several community colleges have extensive summer camp programs for kids)
South County
North County

Please be sure to share your favorites too!
xoxo, C
Just Spotted received no compensation, of any kind, for this post.

05.11.2010 | 12 for Tuesday: Thrift Shopping in OC

I don’t know about you, but these days I’ve been watching my pennies. & While I’m drawn to the idea of “thrifting,” I’m the first to admit that I’m a bit overwhelmed by thrift stores. Lucky for us, Carrie (of This Mama Makes Stuff) knows Orange County thrift stores like the back of her hand. Today she’s sharing with us her absolute favorite Orange County-ish Thrift Stores…
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Thrift stores can be a fickle bunch; great one week and terrible the next. With the turnover and the infinite possibilities of stock sources, you never know what treasures you’ll find. There’s also that chance you could leave empty handed wondering what all the fuss was about. All that aside, if you haven’t checked out these 12 Orange County(ish) Thrift Stores, they’re definitely worth the look.

1. Rewear Warehouse (Anaheim): By far my favorite thrift store in all of Orange County. If clothing is your thing, you’re going to be in love. So many cheap treasures to be found downstairs while the entire upstairs is filled with amazing, vintage finds at fab prices. And don’t even get me started about the fantastic sales.

2. Savers (Anaheim & La Mirada): When it comes to chain thrift stores, Savers is the best there is. So organized, and filled with great things. I’ve been to Savers stores in three states, and have never been disappointed. I have had especially good luck at the Anaheim location.

3. Lutheran High Thrift Shop (Orange): This place is on the small side, but I always seem to find great stuff: dishes, sewing patterns, vintage linens, cool toys, jewelry and furniture.

4. South Street Thrift Center (Long Beach): This place is huge, so prepare to dig for the treasures, and remember to bring cash.

5. Grateful Hearts Thrift Redefined (Los Alamitos): If thrift store shopping is new to you, this store is a great place to get your feet wet. It’s clean, well organized and dare I say cute?

6. Goodwill (19 stores in 11 Orange County cities): I’ve had great luck at the one in Lake Forest and the one on Grand in Santa Ana. Picked up all the cashmere sweaters I needed for a baby blanket project when I expected to have to hit 2 or 3 stores.

7. Salvation Army (12 locations throughout Orange County): The Orange location is just down the street from the Lutheran High Thrift Shop so if you’re doing a day of thrifting in Orange, you’ll definitely want to pop in.

8. Lincoln Thrift Store (Anaheim): A little on the grungy side, but great prices on everything from clothes to nick nacks to books to furniture.

9. St. Vincent De Paul Thrift Store (Laguna Hills, Orange, San Juan Capistrano, & Anaheim): The Anaheim location is just down the street from Rewear Warehouse so be sure to stop by.

10. The Sheepfold Thrift Store (Orange): As one of three thrift stores in the same shopping center, you can plan an entire day of thrift shopping without even moving your car.

11. Family Thrift (Orange): In the same Orange shopping center, as The Sheepfold Thrift Store, another thrift store that you’ll definitely want to check out.

12. Rags to Riches (Costa Mesa): This place is a little pricier than the average thrift store, but they are also pickier with what they stock. If you’re looking for name brands and good quality second hand clothing and accessories, you’ve come to the right place.

Now that you have a list of fabulous stores to check out (thanks again Carrie!), if you are really serious about “thrifting” then you’ll want to check out Carrie’s Top Ten Tips for Scoring at the Thrift Store. Looking for a little thrift store inspiration? Be sure check out some of Carrie’s past thrift store finds.

xoxo, Carrie &  K

Just Spotted received no compensation, of any kind, for this post.


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