Over The Top Mommy

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!

Will You Be My PFF? Let’s Be PEEPS®Friends Forever This Valentine’s Day!

February 2, 2015 / Celebrations, Food, Holiday Fun, Let's Eat!, Printables

Valentine’s Day is just around the corner! It’s my most favorite holiday! This year I got a head start on my Valentine’s treat preparation and stocked up on PEEPS® Valentine’s Day products. You can’t go wrong with PEEPS® because they’re irresistible and everyone loves them!

As you can see, our Valentine’s Day this year is going to be all about the PEEPS®! They come in a variety of shapes and seasonally-inspired flavors to satisfy your Valentine’s sweet tooth.

This year’s PEEPS^®Valentine’s offerings include:

Pink Marshmallow Chicks
Pink Marshmallow Bunnies
Chocolate Dipped Strawberry Crème Flavored Chicks
Marshmallow Hearts
Cherries Drizzled and Dipped in Chocolate
Chocolate Covered Raspberry Flavored Hearts
Strawberry Crème Flavored Marshmallow Hearts
Vanilla Crème Flavored Marshmallow Hearts

In addition to serving as a savory token of affection, PEEPS® Valentine’s Day products are also fun to incorporate into snacks at home and Valentine treats for others. I put together a couple of cute printables to add to some of the PEEPS®Valentine treats I’ll be sending to school with my daughter, for her classmates and teachers!

I LOVE these Vanilla Creme PEEPS®Marshmallow Hearts! I made this little “In Case of Emergency: Break Seal!” labels to stick onto this package. I think I’ll give these to my daughter’s teacher. Being a teacher, I’m SURE there are times she has an “emergency” and will be able to utilize these properly, don’t you think? It’ll be as easy as breaking open the package seal and enjoying them!

I made these little heart “You’re one of my favorite Peeps!” printables to attach to these 3-packs of new Strawberry Crème Flavored Milk Chocolate Dipped PEEPS^®. I know the instructional assistants for my daughter’s class are going to love them!

I also made these “Will you be my PFF?” tags to attach onto a single pack of the new flavor, Milk Chocolate Covered Raspberry flavor! “PFF” stands for Peeps Friends Forever!

I cannot wait for Valentine’s Day to get here! Do YOU love it as much as I do? What’s YOUR favorite part about Valentine’s Day?

Try one or all of the seasonal varieties and express your PEEPSONALITY® by incorporating them into your favorite Valentine-inspired creations! PEEPS^®Valentine’s treats can be found nationwide at grocery and drug stores, PEEPS & Company retail stores or at http://www.marshmallowpeeps.com.

I was provided with some PEEPS^®Valentine’s treats in order to write my feature. No other compensation was received. All opinions are 100% my own.

Celebrate This Valentine’s Day With M&M’s® Red Velvet and Chocolate Pie Pops!

January 30, 2015 / Celebrations, Food, Holiday Fun, Recipes

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

Valentine’s Day is my absolute favorite holiday of the year! It always seems like everyone is happy and you can feel the love and friendship in the air! I loved it as a little girl, I love it as a 1st grade teacher and I love it as a mom, especially as a “girl mom”. My daughter embraces my need to be “that mom”! You know, the one who always sends something cute for the class on just about every holiday? (OK maybe I don’t on Groundhog Day)

This year, my daughter will be bringing the cutest & yummiest treats to school for her classmates at their Valentine’s celebration. I’m sending M&M’s® Red Velvet and chocolate pie pops! Yep, you read that correctly! M&M’s® Red Velvet exist!

If you’re as excited to try them as I was when I first saw them, then you should make a quick trip out to Walmart today to grab a bag of your own!

The M&M’s® Red Velvet are so delicious in this recipe. These pie pops definitely have a cute factor about them! They are honestly so easy to make! I like that it’s a kid-friendly recipe too because my daughter loves to spend time with me in the kitchen.

Here’s what you’ll need to make this recipe:

1 box of store-bought pie crust (they usually come 2 in a box)
1 jar of chocolate spread of your choice
1 bag M&M’s® Red Velvet
1 egg, just the egg white
flour (to spread out on the counter)

Instructions:

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees
Lightly flour countertop and roll out pie crust. Use a large biscuit cutter to cut out pairs of circles.
Use small heart cookie cutter to cut out one heart for each pop that you’re making.
Cover cookie sheet with parchment paper. Set bottom circle pieces on cookie sheet, leaving ample space between each one.
Gently push a lollipop stick into the center of each pie circle.
Spoon in some of the chocolate spread into the center of each pop. Don’t use too much to avoid it squeezing out.
Place 3 M&M’s® Red Velvet candies on top of the chocolate spread.
Set top circle of dough on top and lightly push edges together with your fingers.
Use the end of a lollipop stick to seal edges of entire pie pop.
Brush each pie pop lightly with egg white. Place hearts on each pop and brush egg white on them as well.
Place into oven and bake for 9-12 minutes, keeping a close eye on them so they don’t burn.
When they’re golden brown, remove them from the oven and allow to cool.

You will most likely be overwhelmed by how amazing they smell to the point where you’ll want to bite right into one as it’s coming out of the oven! Allow them to cool down for at least 5 minutes.

For Valentine’s Day, I’m going to wrap each pie pop in a plastic bag, add some M&M’s® Milk Chocolate candies inside the bag, and tie it up with colorful tulle. The M&M’s® almost look like confetti inside the bag, don’t you think?

I found everything I needed to make this recipe at Walmart, which makes it so easy for a busy mom like me!

Do YOU love Valentine’s Day as much as I do? What’s YOUR favorite way to celebrate friendship and love on Valentine’s Day?

For more M&M’s® Red Velvet inspiration, be sure to visit the Red Velvet Love Recipes page. Join the #RedVelvetLove Pinterest Party taking place at http://www.pinterest.com/SoFabChats/ on Saturday, January 31 at 12:00pm ET for your chance at winning a $1000 Walmart gift card!
See more great M&M’s® Red Velvet recipe and party ideas at myconfectioncorner.com/valentines-day where you can also download a coupon to save on your M&M’s® purchase.

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!

Doc McStuffins: Cuddle Me Lambie! on DVD February 3! Free Printable Coloring and Activity Sheets! (I’m giving away 2 DVDs)

January 28, 2015 / Disney DVDs, Entertainment, Movies

No one gives better cuddles than Doc’s warm and fuzzy best friend! She’s a princess and a ballerina, and she’s always there for toys that need an extra helping of tender loving care. Just say three little words: “Cuddle Me Lambie.”

We LOVE Doc McStuffins in our home! She’s adorable and I love watching the diagnosis’ that she comes up with for the animals! I also adore the Big Book of Boos Boos so much that we have one of our own!

On February 3rd, Disney Jr. Home Entertainment will release the newest “DOC MCSTUFFINS: CUDDLE ME LAMBIE.” Join Doc and the whole gang as they laugh, play and have a ball fixing boo-boos and discovering great ways to stay happy and healthy. Celebrate the power of true friendship as new, sparkly heart toy Val shows Lambie there’s plenty of love to go around. Meet Donny and Alma’s monster creation Charlie – who turns out to be very sweet and not scary after all. Then, see how Lambie gets out of a super-sticky jam! Bursting with five song-filled episodes and cuddles galore, this “hug-stravaganza” is magical fun your little one will adore!

Check out these adorable free printable coloring and activity sheets! Just click and print out for your little one!

To celebrate the release of this adorable DVD, I’ve also been provided with 2 copies of it to give away to two of my readers! They’ll each come with a poster too! How fun is that? Just follow the instructions on the Rafflecopter below! Good luck everyone!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Voyage to the Iron Reef Surfacing on 5/5/15 at Knott’s!

January 27, 2015 / Uncategorized

When I heard Knott’s announce 5/5/15 as the opening date for their newest ride, Voyage to the Iron Reef, I screamed in excitement! Literally! I knew it was something I wanted to share with everyone! Voyage to the Iron Reef is a spectacular new 4-D interactive ride. Ever since construction crews finished expanding the Boardwalk pier in 2013, guests have happily enjoyed the many new attractions like Coast Rider and Surfside Gliders. But all that activity on the Boardwalk shores has reawakened a mystic lair in the depths below, filled with creatures who have risen up to wreak havoc on the classic So Cal theme park.

Get ready to grab a freeze ray and join the battle to save Knott’s from the mysterious creatures that are emerging from the waters beneath the Boardwalk! Catch your first glimpse of the hundreds-strong aquatic army threatening Knott’s in this exclusive teaser video.

The Kraken Queen and her aquatic army have surfaced to feed on the steel of any attraction within their grasps. Their unquenchable appetite for coaster metal has turned these creatures into swimming mechanical monsters unlike anything ever before seen on the ocean floor. Only you can save Knott’s from the mysterious creatures that are emerging from the seas beneath the Boardwalk!

After seeing all of these sneak peek pictures and watching the video, I’m even more anxious for May 15th to get here. For project updates and park information, visit knotts.com or download the Knott’s Berry Farm app for your smart phone. Join the conversation about the new attraction using the hashtag #KnottsIronReef on the Knott’s Facebook, Twitter and on Instagram!

*image credits: Knott’s

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