Lifestyle Archives - Page 41 of 49

Lifestyle

Join OCTA on February 21 For a Free Family Event at the Irvine Station to Celebrate the Lunar New Year! (They’re Giving Away Tickets to Ride the Metrolink, Too)

February 12, 2015 / Celebrations, Holiday Fun, Lifestyle, Los Angeles, Orange County

Lunar New Year is the most celebrated holiday of the year for the nearly 1.5 million people of Chinese, Korean and Vietnamese descent living in Southern California. Celebrate Lunar New Year by visiting the 116th Annual Golden Dragon Parade and Festival in Los Angeles’ Chinatown. With colorful parades, elaborately decorated floats, marching bands and cultural performances by some of the nation’s best Chinese acts, this free event is fun for all ages.

Before riding Metrolink to L.A. on February 21, join OCTA for a Lunar New Year celebration at the Irvine station. This is a free event for the whole family. Just arrive at the Irvine Metrolink Station at 8:00 a.m. Enjoy a traditional Lion Dance and enter to win Lucky Red envelopes. Bring a non-perishable food donation for Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County to play Plinko and win a prize.

The first 100 people at the Metrolink Irvine Station on February 21 will each receive a free Metrolink ticket too, for a ride up to LA! (First come, first served)

Metrolink is the best way to get to LA from Orange County. You’ll avoid traffic and parking hassles and enjoying a relaxing ride with friends and family. The train is a great way to start your family adventure to Los Angeles.

The Irvine Metrolink station is Irvine Station is located at:
15215 Barranca Parkway
Irvine, CA 92618
(Free parking)

For more information about Metrolink and to find the train schedules, click here.

Connect with OCTA on Facebook and Instagram!

(images provided by OCTA)

Come to Irvine Park Railroad’s 19th Anniversary Celebration 2015 on February 21st & 22nd!

February 9, 2015 / Family Fun, Irvine Park Railroad, Lifestyle, Orange County

Come celebrate Irvine Park Railroad’s 19th anniversary on Saturday, February 21st and Sunday, February 22nd. They’re rolling back prices to their original 1996 prices… including $2.00 train rides! It’s their way of saying thank you to all of their loyal customers who have visited Irvine Park Railroad over the years.

Irvine Park Railroad has become a favorite destination for families (like ours) from across Southern California. While the train takes passengers on a 12-minute ride through scenic Irvine Regional Park, the engineer narrates the ride pointing out all of the history inside of the 114 year-old park.

The anniversary celebration will also feature other $2.00 activities and concessions including carnival games, hot dogs, sodas, ice creams, popcorn, bounce house tickets and cotton candy.

Face painting and panning for gold require two $2.00 tickets. FREE giveaways include Irvine Park Railroad balloons.

The $2 tickets are valid during the Anniversary Celebration weekend only. (Coupons, discounts and/or any other promotions are not valid on the anniversary celebration dates.)

While at Irvine Regional Park, be sure and visit the parks other activities including Wheel Fun Rentals® at Irvine Park, bike and paddle boat rentals, pony rides and the Orange County Zoo. The park entrance fee is $5.00 per vehicle.

Irvine Park Railroad opens daily at 10:00 AM. The cost for train tickets during the anniversary celebrations weekend is $2.00 per ticket; children younger than 12 months ride free. Irvine Park Railroad is located inside of Irvine Regional Park at 1 Irvine Park Road, Orange, CA 92869.

Irvine Park Railroad is open year round (excluding Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day). Our annual events include the Easter Eggstravaganza, Anniversary Celebration, Pumpkin Patch, Fourth Grade California History Education Program, Christmas Tree Ranch, and Christmas Train. Please visit http://www.irvineparkrailroad.com for details.

Connect with Irvine Park Railroad on Facebook, Twitter & Instagram!

Also view their pictures on Flickr.

Simon Youth Foundation Seeks Local High School Student Applicants for Scholarship Program

February 4, 2015 / Lifestyle, Orange County

For a 16th straight year, Simon Youth Foundation, a national nonprofit that provides educational opportunities for at-risk high school students, is proud to support deserving students in the Orange County community through the Simon Youth Scholarship Program.

This May, one student from every community that is home to a Simon property is eligible to receive a one-time scholarship award up to $1,500. In addition, 10 designated Simon, Mills and Premium Outlets centers will grant an Award of Excellence – a $2,500 scholarship that is renewable for up to three years.

Simon Youth Foundation Community Scholarships are awarded through the Simon Youth Scholarships program and in partnership with local Simon properties. The application period for the 2015 Simon Youth Community Scholarship Program is December 1, 2014 – February 25, 2015.

Any student who will be graduating in the class of 2015 and lives within 50 miles of a Simon property, including Brea Mall, Westminster Mall and The Shops at Mission Viejo in Orange County, is eligible. The program will award a one-time scholarship of up to $1,500 to students who plan to enroll in an accredited college, university, vocational or technical school.

Applications also can be downloaded at the SYF website at: http://programs.applyists.com/syf/.

To-date, SYF has awarded more than $12 million in scholarships to more than 3,700 students in 42 states.

The 2015 SYF Community Scholarship recipients will be selected by Scholarship Management Services, a third-party administrator. Students are selected based on a variety of criteria, including financial need, academic performance, leadership skills and participation in school and community activities. Those students who are the first in their family to pursue a post secondary education will also be given close consideration.

The completed application, along with official school transcripts and parents’ most recently filed tax form, must be sent to Scholarship Management Services by February 25, 2015.

About SYF
Simon Youth Foundation, established in 1998, supports 23 Simon Youth Academies in 13 U.S. states that give at-risk students the same education they would receive in a traditional classroom while offering the flexibility that their individual circumstances require. Recipient of the Crystal Star Award of Excellence in Dropout Prevention from the National Dropout Prevention Center, the foundation has helped more than 10,000 students earn their high school diploma and provided more than $10 million in college scholarships to 3,900 students in 42 states. The Education Commission of the United States has recognized the foundation with its Corporate Award for sustained and substantial investment in improving public education.

About Simon
Simon is a global leader in retail real estate ownership, management and development and a S&P100 company (Simon Property Group, NYSE:SPG). Our industry-leading retail properties and investments across North America, Europe and Asia provide shopping experiences for millions of consumers every day and generate billions in annual retail sales. For more information, visit simon.com.

Pamper Your Valentine With a Gift From We Olive & Wine Bar San Juan Capistrano!

February 4, 2015 / Celebrations, Holiday Fun, Lifestyle, Orange County, Shopping

With Valentine’s Day right around the corner, We Olive & Wine Bar San Juan Capistrano is the perfect place to do some Valentine’s Day shopping! They feature gifts that include artisan extra virgin olive oils, hand-crafted tapenades, mustards, pesto, balsamic vinegars, body and skin care products, as well as custom gift collections. They have some beautiful gifts that can help pamper your Valentine and ensure they feel loved any day of the year.

Some of the fabulous Valentine’s gifts that make women feel pampered include:

Rewined Candles – $29.95
All-natural, premium soy wax candles, hand poured into repurposed wine bottles with scents that mimic the tasting notes of wine.
McEvoy Ranch 80 Acres Line of Body and Skin Care Products
Rich and luxurious, moisturizing and healing, the 80 Acres line of emollient body oils, balms, scrubs, gels and lotions are infused with vitamin rich plant extracts and botanicals inspired by the wealth of natural elements present on the Ranch.
The Olive Oil & Vinegar Experience Sampler Gift Box: $29.95
This gift collection is the perfect way to experience the very best of We Olive! This sampler comes with a 2 oz bottle of each of the following : Arbequina Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Garlic Flavored Olive Oil, Organic Meyer Lemon Flavored Olive Oil, Traditional Aged Balsamic Vinegar, and Peach White Balsamic Vinegar. This is the perfect gift for that hard-to-shop-for person in your life or a great way to introduce someone to the wonderful world of We Olive.

Martini Lover’s Gift Basket – $49.95
This basket is comprised of what we consider to be the Martini essentials. Recipients of our Martini Lover’s Gift Basket will receive the following delicious items: – A bottle of We Olive’s Olive Juice Dirty Martini Mix – A jar of our Twisted Martini Olives – A jar of our Vermouth Bleu Cheese Stuffed Olives – A jar of our Marlon Blando Olives and a We Olive Dipping Dish. We Olive & Wine Bar San Juan Capistrano is located in downtown San Juan Capistrano.

31760 Camino Capistrano Suite B

San Juan Capistrano, CA 92675

Visit them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram!

(images provided by We Olive & Wine Bar San Juan Capistrano)

You Are Invited to The Eat, Explore, Tour Event at Baker Ranch in Lake Forest on February 21!

February 3, 2015 / Lifestyle, Orange County

Baker Ranch is a community of brand new homes in Lake Forest that epitomizes family-friendly, resort-style living in Southern California. From the start, Baker Ranch has been designed for active people who love outdoor recreation and scenic natural settings. Here you can enjoy all the amenities of an exceptional master planned community without the excessive taxation of Mello-Roos. Lake Forest provides small-town charm with California Distinguished schools and modern services. It’s all within easy reach of the major employment centers, shopping, entertainment and attractions that make sunny Central Orange County the perfect backyard.

On Saturday, February 21, Baker Ranch will be hosting a fun event, “Eat Tour Explore”, from 11 a.m.-4 p.m.! It’s a massive unveiling event featuring GREAT perks from Baker Ranch. They will be unveiling plans for all of their future parks, and will include a virtual tour of “Promenade Park”, a new community park that will not only be a great place for families with kids to play, but also provide residents with a safe means to travel from one end of the community to the other, out of the way of traffic. Guests will have the opportunity to tour this beautiful new community.

But that’s not the best part of this event…..

Renowned chef Richard Blais of Bravo TV’s “Top Chef” will be making a special appearance at the unveiling and will be doing a cooking demonstration, featuring one of his creative and delicious recipes. Spa Gregorie’s will also be at the event, giving free massages to guests after they tour the model homes.

Not only is this a great opportunity for you to get the inside scoop on some of the amazing things that Lake Forest has in store, it’s also your chance for an up close and personal look at some delicious dishes prepared by a prominent chef. In addition, you’ll have the chance to get some design inspiration from our gorgeous award-winning model homes. For more information on this fun event, visit the Baker Ranch Facebook page!

I’m also giving away a signed copy of Chef Blais’s cookbook Try This at Home: Recipes from My Head to Your Plate! How fun is that? Just enter below on the Rafflecopter!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Connect with Baker Ranch on Twitter & Instagram too!

McCafé Is This Mom’s “Happiness in a Cup”!

January 30, 2015 / Food, Let's Eat!, Lifestyle, Motherhood

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #McCafeMyWay #CollectiveBias

As a busy mom, I look forward to mornings when I can enjoy a little bit of “me time”. It’s the only time of day where my house is calm and quiet and everyone else is asleep. With a nice, warm cup of home-brewed McCafé coffee in hand, I can relax before all of the rushing around begins. I’ve learned the importance of carving out some time for myself each day. It’s what gets me through a very busy daily schedule. Seriously, take a look at my daily routine! If I don’t grab some time for myself in the wee hours of the morning, it’s just never going to happen!

I get excited when my alarm goes off, even if it’s 4:30 a.m.! I set the timer on the coffee maker the night before so I can wake to the smell of freshly brewed McCafé coffee downstairs. I’ve actually learned to love getting up this early because you accomplish a lot more.

McCafé is now available at Walmart. It’s made with 100% Arabica beans and is harvested from the rich soils and mountainous regions of the foremost coffee-growing areas of the world.

McCafé coffee also comes in coffee pods, which can be brewed in your home brewing system. I have both a traditional coffee pot AND a home brewing machine in my kitchen and love the convenience of having flexible brewing options with McCafé.

During one of my recent shopping trips at my local Walmart there was an in-store McCafé demo going on. I got to sample some of the different flavors. I think the Breakfast Blend & the Premium Roast are 2 of my favorites!

Let’s get back to talking about my morning “me time”. I like to enjoy my McCafé with toast or even some freshly baked muffins. You have to treat yourself sometimes and honestly, it makes my day go much smoother. I sometimes even get a few minutes to sit out on my back balcony, in my robe, and drink a cup at sunrise. (or when it’s cloudy like in this picture). It’s very peaceful. I can sometimes even see the beach from my balcony. McCafé is this mom’s “happiness in a cup”!

It was easy to find the McCafé coffee pods on the coffee aisle at Walmart. I found the Premium bags of coffee on the end of an aisle.

Well, I’ve let you take a peek into my morning routine and told you about how great McCafé is at helping make my day run smoothly. Do YOU make time for yourself each day? If so, how? If not, I think you need to start doing so today!

For recipe inspiration, sweepstakes, loyalty programs, coupons and more, check out the Cooking Up Good website. What’s not to love? If you’re looking for a new dinner idea or a chance to win some awesome prizes, be sure to check it out!

Cristophe Salon Newport Beach To Host A Valentine’s Day Beauty Prep Celebration + Kendra Scott Jewelry Giveaway

January 27, 2015 / Beauty & Pampering, Lifestyle, Orange County

Cristophe Salon Newport Beach, Orange County’s top beauty destination known for its five-star customer service, is partnering with Dr. Rami K. Batniji, a Newport Beach facial plastic surgeon, Kendra Scott Jewelry and Blushington Makeup and Beauty Lounge in Fashion Island to host a Valentine’s Day Prep Party.

On Saturday, Feb. 14, 2015, guests are invited to Cristophe Salon Newport Beach at Fashion Island® from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. to enjoy indulgent treatments, such as hair, nail, makeup and waxing services, before a romantic date night or a girls’ night out. With music spinning throughout the day, guests will be offered complimentary champagne to sip on throughout their experience. The first 100 guests to schedule an appointment or book a service on Valentine’s Day will receive a complimentary gift card for a pre-selected Kendra Scott jewelry item, to be redeemed at the jeweler’s Fashion Island boutique.

Kendra Scott Jewelry will also be for sale on Valentine’s Day between 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. at Cristophe Salon Newport Beach. Five percent of all sales from the evening’s purchased services will directly benefit Yachts for Tots, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization dedicated to introducing underprivileged children to the beauty of the ocean.

Valentine’s Day Prep Party on-site specialty services and packages include:

Hair, Nail and Waxing Services

Hair style consultation with Scott Fontana: complimentary for all new clients to determine the best cut and color for their individual skin tones and facial structures
Hair cut: $90 and up
Hair color: $85 and up
Hair blowout: $65
Manicure: $30
Full Face Make-up services: $45
Just Eyes Make-up services: $30
Waxing, eyebrow and eyelash tinting services: $15 and up

In the two weeks leading up to the special event, pre-booked Valentine’s Day Prep Party guests may receive specially priced BOTOX® and skincare services with premiere Orange County facial plastic surgeon, Dr. Batniji at his Newport Beach office.

Skin Services with Dr. Batniji, offered exclusively in partnership with Cristophe Salon Newport Beach’s Valentine’s Day Prep Party:

Refresh package: $400 ($514 value)

SkinMedica® TNS Essential Serum

SkinMedica® Dermal Repair Cream

SkinMedica® Illuminize Peel

Revitalize package: $450 ($590 value)

20 units of BOTOX®

SkinMedica® TNS Essential Serum

SkinMedica® Illuminize Peel

Renew package: $900 ($1,090 value)

20 units of BOTOX®

1 syringe of Juvederm® Ultra Plus*

SkinMedica® TNS Essential Serum

SkinMedica® Illuminize Peel

Latisse®: $200 ($300 value)

2 boxes of Latisse®

Appointments are required to guarantee services, as space is limited. Please call (949) 219-0920 for all appointment bookings.

For more information about Cristophe Salon Newport Beach and its exceptional team of colorists and stylists, service offerings, or to book an appointment please visit http://www.CristopheNB.com or call (949) 219-0920. In addition, in the two weeks leading up to the special event, pre-booked Valentine’s Day Prep Party guests may receive specially priced BOTOX® and skincare services with premiere Orange County facial plastic surgeon, Dr. Batniji, at his Newport Beach office. 5% of all proceeds from the event will be donated to Yachts for Tots, a 501(c)3 organization dedicated to introducing underprivileged children to the majesty of the ocean.

I’m also having a giveaway for one of my lucky readers. If you win, you’ll have a choice of one of the following beautiful jewelry pieces: a Kendra Scott Rayne Necklace, a pair of Danielle Earrings, or a pair of Elle Earrings. Just enter down below on the Rafflecopter. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Come Walk the Pink Carpet at the Beauty Land Event Hosted by CosmetiCare in Newport Beach!

January 21, 2015 / Beauty & Pampering, Lifestyle

Calling OC ladies and gents!

You are invited to a Beauty Land event at CosmetiCare in Newport Beach on February 12! CosmetiCare is Orange County’s leading cosmetic surgery center and medspa. They help thousands of clients every year love the way they look! This event is going to be so much fun! Learn about Full Facial Rejuvenations with the expert staff at CosmetiCare. Meet representatives from CareCredit, Allergan, Skin Medica, TruSculpt, Alma and New Look Now.

Have you ever wondered what a treatment would look like on you, such as Botox or Voluma? Do you ever wish you could “try on” a procedure first the way we try on clothes in a dressing room? Well, at the Beauty Land Event you can try on any type of procedure! New Look Now will be there to create a digital rendering of your potential outcome for free! How fun is that?

There will be 3 beauty tours available at the event….4:00 pm / 5:00 pm / 6:00 pm. Call 949.718.6900 to RSVP for this event! Don’t miss out on the fun, education, gifts, and raffles! Call 949.718.6900 to RSVP by February 9 for this event!

CosmetiCare is located at 1101 Bayside Dr. Newport Beach, CA 92625.

Connect with them on Facebook , Twitter, & Instagram!

2015 OC Fair Celebrates “One Big Party” With Pop-Up Parties Starting in January!

January 20, 2015 / Family Fun, Lifestyle, OC Fair, Orange County

The OC Fair will be celebrating 125 years of food and fun this July with “One Big Party”for the 2015 OC Fair. It will run July 17-August 16 and celebrate its 125th anniversary with 23 days of food, rides, shopping, exhibits and animals. Fairgoers will be able to enjoy world-renowned performers in the Pacific Amphitheatre and exciting events in The Hangar and Action Sports Arena.

The OC Fair is getting the party started early with a series of Pop-Up Parties held at various locations throughout the Southland. Each event will feature a complimentary sweet treat and prizes, including OC Fair tickets and other goodies, as well as an opportunity to win an OC Fair Super Pass (season pass).

Here is the preliminary OC Fair Pop-Up Party schedule (events subject to change):

How fun does all of this sound? I’m totally ready to get this party started!

Sign-up for emails announcing concerts and other promotions at ocfair.com. Also, download the free OC Fair iPhone and Android apps available this summer.Visit OC Fair on Facebook and follow on Twitter.