February 2015 - Page 2 of 2 - Over The Top Mommy

Month: February 2015

Union Market Mission Viejo at Kaleidoscope Center Announces First Restaurants & Retailers

February 14, 2015 / Kaleidoscope Center, Lifestyle, Orange County, Shopping

Union Market Mission Viejo has announced more than a dozen specialty retailers and restaurants who have begun construction at Kaleidoscope Center! It will open a 28,000 square foot space in early summer, featuring 20 independent retailers and chef-driven restaurants. This is such exciting news! Here’s a sneak peek of what’s been announced to join Union Market Mission Viejo so far:

Restaurants

Portola Coffee, a specialty coffee bar that was recently honored as Roaster of the Year 2015
Milk Box, a healthy, playful and premium brand bringing organic ingredients to milk teas, along with boba and desserts
Hummus bowl, a fresh, organic hummus bar
Oyu Shabu, a Japanese Shabu-Shabu that offers a fun hot pot (cook it yourself) dining style
Poke Shack, offering a unique and interactive experience where guests will build their own meal with an array of fresh ingredients to suit their preference. Diners will watch the process as their bowl of rice, choice of protein, sauce, vegetable and condiment is prepared to order
Kroft, featuring a farm to table menu and reinventing comfort food with fresh, local, organic, sustainable and seasonal ingredients (F.L.O.S.S.) with sandwiches and poutines (Canadian French specialty fries.)
Central Bar, serving specialty craft cocktails and libations, using only fresh and local ingredients, and a wine bar featuring eclectic and small boutique wines. Central Bar will offer an educational and fun experience with monthly wine and spirit tastings
Anchor Hitch – Seafood and Raw Bar, is a contemporary take on the traditional fare of a fish and oyster bar, focused on sustainable and fresh seafood
Noodle Bar, traditional Vietnamese Pho with a modern build-your-own experience
Youngstone Cheese Shop, featuring cheese plates, fondue, and build-your-own grilled cheese sandwiches
Market 2 Plate, offering pasta and freshly made salads

Retailers

Bambu Earth, responsible and natural soap and skincare products
Miel, women’s clothing and accessories

Other concepts soon to be announced include a bakery, olive oil bar, juice bar, a baby & children’s boutique, home décor, and a jeweler.

Union Market Mission Viejo will include indoor and outdoor dining with stunning views overlooking the city of Mission Viejo, as well as communal areas to dine, meet with friends, or relax over coffee.

Be sure to follow all the happenings at Kaleidoscope via Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Annual Orchid Expo to Take Bloom at Westminster Mall February 13-15!

February 13, 2015 / Family Fun, Lifestyle, Orange County, Shopping, Westminster Mall

The Newport Harbor Orchid Society will host its 13th Annual Orchid Expo and Sale, this year themed “Orchids: Jewels of the Jungle,” February 13-15, at Westminster Mall.

The Expo, which is free and open to the public, will showcase thousands of high quality orchids in bloom from all over the world. Orchids are the largest family of flowering plants with over 35,000 known species and hybrids.

Without having to leave Southern California, show goers will be dazzled by the diversity and beauty of the orchids to be displayed by professional growers, area orchid societies, and individual hobbyists.

A large sales area will feature expert commercial growers who will be offering unique species and hybrids for sale. There will also be two potting workshops designed specifically for new growers, which are scheduled for Saturday, February 14, and Sunday, February 15. Registration is limited to the first 20 registrants for each class. To register, e-mail [email protected].

Judging of the plants will be conducted by accredited judges of the American Orchid Society and the Cymbidium Society of America, as well as by local society members. An exhibit of orchid art by members of the Westminster Mall’s Kidgits Club will also be on exhibit during the show.

Show admission and parking are free. Specific hours are as follows:

Friday February 13: 10am – 9pm
Saturday, February 14: 10am – 7pm
Sunday, February 15: 11am – 6pm

For more information visit http://www.nhosinfo.org/.

About The Newport Harbor Orchid Society:
Founded in 1979, the Newport Harbor Orchid Society has over 150 participating members who reside in Orange, Los Angeles, San Diego, and Riverside Counties. The organization’s primary mission is to foster the culture, cultivation, and conservation of orchids and to educate its members and the public about orchids. The society meets onthe third Tuesday of each month at the Neighborhood Community Center in Costa Mesa, 1845 Park Avenue. Guests and new members are welcome.

About Westminster Mall:
Westminster Mall is a modern shopping center that features some of the best names in retail including Macy’s, JC Penney, Sears, Target, Victoria’s Secret, PINK, Old Navy and more. In addition to more than 180 specialty stores with shops ranging from teen apparel to shoes to women’s apparel and jewelry, Westminster Mall also features exciting dining destinations such as Outback Steakhouse and TGI Fridays.In November 2008, Westminster Mall completed a multi-million dollar renovation. Included were brand new family restrooms, a first of its kind children’s fully soft play area, new interior and exterior directional signage. The entire lower level of the center was carpeted for guest’s shopping enjoyment and comfort. For a map and store listings, as well as directions, events and job listings, visit http://www.simon.com/mall/westminster-mall or call 714-898-2558.

Connect with Westminster Mall on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

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!

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.