Welcoming Fall Flavors and Fun In & Around Orange County

There something magical about autumn. Shopping for school supplies, enjoying a few (if not rare) cooler days, and seeing all my favorite pumpkin treats in the stores- what’s not to love about fall? Especially now that I’m a mom, I want to share my love of the season with my littles. I have so many seasonal outings on my autumn bucket list that I’ve had to create a calendar for the fall months just to squeeze it all in. In particular, here are a few of the events penciled in for this year…

OCME’s Scarecrow & Pumpkin Festival

The Orange County Model Engineers are hosting a fall event in Costa Mesa October 17th-18th called the “Scarecrow and Pumpkin Festival”. Throughout the year, they offer monthly free train rides on their model trains (note: children must be able to walk and must meet height requirements). For October, they’re continuing the free train rides along with other seasonal activities: face painting, fire truck rides, pumpkin picking, and snacks galore. Check out their website for location and times.

Fall Picnic and Nature Walk

Now that my little guy is almost three, we’ve started to really enjoy exploration and adventure-based outings. Orange County has pristine beaches and awe-inspiring parks that would be the perfect location for this fall activity. Pack up your picnic basket with some yummy fall treats, spread your cozy blanket, and spend some time observing God’s glorious creation together. And once your bellies are full, stroll through your locale and get into nature. Gather some souvenirs of your trip- a pinecone, acorns, fall leaves, seashells, or my son’s favorite, twigs and rocks of all shapes and sizes. You could even turn your nature walk into a fall scavenger hunt, seeking out leaves of different colors, types of insects, or varieties of trees and flowers. 

ENC’s Fall Faire

The Environmental Nature Center in Costa Mesa is hosting a Fall Faire on October 18th from 10:00-3:00. They features pumpkins, face painting and henna tattoos, native plants sale, pony rides, a petting zoo, and other activities to entertain visitors of all ages. You can check out a video promo for the event here.

Decorate for Fall

I love pulling out my box of harvest decorations in mid-September and bringing a little of the fall ambience into our home. Decorating for fall has two huge perks: for one, I only have one box to unpack and so I’m done relatively quickly. And secondly, I get to enjoy it twice as long as my Christmas decorations! Of course, decorating with fresh pumpkins always does double duty: our array of pumpkins entertained J for hours (see Pumpkin Playtime below for some ideas).

Pumpkin Playtime

I love buying fresh pumpkins in the fall, but sometimes can’t bring myself to pend the money on a decoration that I cannot use again and again. However, if I can use those pumpkins a few times to entertain my littles during the season, it’s money well spent.  One idea is to fill a large bin with water, and let your littles explore using small pumpkins. See how dense pumpkins sink and dried out or plastic pumpkins float. Measure splash size based on mass, or just let them have some unstructured water play! Another idea is to wrap up a variety of pumpkins and gourds in tinfoil. Before unwrapping, have your kiddos look at each one and talk about its shape, weight, and possible other uses. Then, let them unwrap (and rewrap) the pumpkins. It’s the simplest things, but they provide tons of entertainment. Since my littles are too small for pumpkin carving, you can let them decorate pumpkins with paint instead. You can even use pumpkins to create pumpkin print art (just slice pumpkins in half, dip in paint, and stamp shapes onto paper). These would make a great thematic pumpkin play date, too!

Irvine Park Railroad and Pumpkin Patch

Visiting Irvine Park is one of my son’s favorite activities. They have a little of everything: the Orange County zoo, a duck pond, paddle boats, train rides, playgrounds, pony rides, acres of grassy fields to run and play, snack bars, bike rentals, and a weekly farmer’s market (Tuesdays 9:00-1:00 which also boasts free parking for market visitors). And around this time of the year, they also deck out the train depot and surrounding area with a fabulous pumpkin patch. You can purchase one of the many varieties of pumpkins on display, make your way through the hay maze, take a picture in their many hand-painted photo props, or buy tickets for a number of fun activities, like face painting, cookie decorating, or a bounce house. It’s definitely a must-do this time of year. And if you sign up for Irvine Park’s e-newsletter, you’ll receive coupons for the park and patch in your inbox (including $ off a pumpkin and a bogo train ride). Previously the coupons had to be printed and presented to be valid, but Irvine Park just added a QR code to each one, so just show the attendant the coupon on your smartphone, and you’re good to go. All aboard!

Note: Parking is $3 cash every day except Tuesdays, and if you exit the park you have to repay to reenter.

Tanaka Farms Pumpkin Patch

Tanaka Farms in Irvine is another great stop on your fall adventures. It is open September 26th through October 31st, though I recommend not waiting until the end of October. We did last year, and ended up walking among some pretty smashed and broken pumpkins. Tanaka Farms is a working farm, and visitors can walk up and down the rows upon rows of pumpkins growing still on the vine. Prices for activities and admission are located on their website (link above), and parking is free. We loved the hay ride around the farm, seeing the different produce the farm has to offer. At their petting zoo, we were lucky enough last year to see a newborn alpaca only a few days old. They offer a corn maze and u-pick pumpkins and vegetables, and on the weekends you can check out their harvest festival, complete with a pumpkin cannon and ATV rides.

Apple Picking & Apple Pies

We cannot forget about autumn’s sweeter food faire, the apple. One way to enjoy the fruits of the season is to head to a (somewhat) local apple orchard and pick your own apples. There’s plenty within an hour of Orange County, and each farm has its own unique features and draws for visitors. Then, bring your stash back home for a baking lesson and cook up a traditional apple pie (or crisp). The warm aromas of cinnamon sweetness will fill your home and family with memories they will want to revisit year after year.

Oak Glen Apple Orchards & Oak Tree Village

Who knew (I didn’t) that just an hour’s drive from Orange County were a bounty of working farms and ranches that allowed visitors to pick their own produce? We’ve visited Oak Glenn the past few years, and it has become one of my absolute favorite fall traditions. Each year we try to visit a different orchard to check out their apple varieties and specialties. Apple cider, mile-high apple pie, apple sausages, and hand pies are just a few of the seasonal treats you can grab. Then, head out to the orchards to pick a pound (or two) of some amazing varieties of apples. There’s always something happening on the weekends, from live entertainment and demonstrations to pony rides and inflatable jumpers. Check out their website for each farm’s particular hours, availability of crops, and list of special events.

A few words to the wise- wear comfortable clothing and shoes (you’ll be doing a lot of walking), come hungry, and dress in layers (it can get pretty warm out in the orchards).

Other fall fun ideas at and around home: 

• Make pumpkin play dough for some hands-on pumpkin fun (click here for a recipe – and it’s edible & gluten free!)
• Bake a pumpkin pie or apple pie
• Make caramel apples
• Learn to distinguish between the spices of fall (cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, etc)
• Roast pumpkin seeds
• Campout (in the backyard or living room) and roast s’mores (in your fireplace or fire pit)
• Brew some apple cider and visit your local bookstore or library to read some amazing stories on thankfulness
• Read up on the life cycle of a pumpkin
• Make some chili (this one from the Barefoot Contessa is a family favorite) and watch a football game
• Make a thankfulness tree for your home, and have each member of your family add leaves telling what they are thankful for. Add to it throughout the season and share at your Thanksgiving feast. (example 1 and example 2 )
• Collect leaves and make leaf garlands to decorate your house or yard
• Make popcorn strands and pinecone bird feeders for your fine feathered friends
• Pull out your costumes from years past and host a fashion show or costume parade
• Don’t save your favorite Thanksgiving dishes for one day a year. Build up anticipation to the main event by making one a week or try out some new recipes before the big day!
• Host a Friendsgiving Potluck (here are some rules and ideas to inspire you)
• Fall Photo Shoot (5 tips for amazing fall photos)
• Fall Scenic Drive (we love driving through the canyon from Orange to Robinson Ranch; the trees overhead are so beautiful).

I hope you enjoy the beauties of the fall season, and find many ways to celebrate and be thankful.

With love and gratitude,

Lisa Marie

Littles for Less

Being a single income household living in Orange County has forced me to be a bit more creative when it comes to spending money, specifically on things for the littles. Hubby works incredibly hard, and I want to stretch our money as much as possible. When we were pregnant with Jackson, he of course being our first, got everything brand-spanking new. I am sure I even turned down hand-me-downs from people. I was working at the time, too, so the double income made it more doable. Now that we’re onto baby #2 and I’m a full-time SAHM (stay-at-home-mom), finding the best deals out there is a huge priority. So today I wanted to share with you my bargain shopping hunting grounds for kids’ items (and some home goods too).

1. Local Facebook Groups: A mom friend introduced me to Facebook groups, and I’m sort of addicted to them. There’s a few great ones here in OC. The groups are closed, and once you join, you have access to other moms who are selling their (mostly) kid-related items around the county, or you too can post your own items and make a little extra money for yourself! There’s OC Kids Korner North, OC Kids Korner South, OC Mommies Mom-to-Mom Sale (Now on Varage Sale, see #2 below), OC Sell My Stuff (not specifically kid related, more home goods), Proverbs 31 Swap and Sell (again mostly home goods and clothing), OC Kids Costumes Resale, OC Kids Toy Exchange, OC Kids Buy/Sell/Trade and OC Moms with BIG Kids (kids items for sale sans baby gear). You will definitely find some great deals and save your family money that could better be spent on Starbucks or _________ (insert your vice here).
2. Varage Sale: Like I mentioned above, OC Mommies Mom-to-Mom Sale recently moved their sale location to Varage Sale. Now, it’s kind of (a lot) like Craigslist, with a few better features. For one, it’s super easy to post from your phone. In fact, you can take pictures of all the items you’d like to list, and then Varage Sale lets you add them one right after another. You only post one main picture, unlike Craigslist, but if you want to add more you can post them in a comment. Now, you may already know this, but when you see “BUMP” in the comment line of a post, it’s just the seller moving their item up in the feed so it’s on top of the older posts. “X-POSTED” means cross-posted, signifying that this item was also posted in anther group or thread. Just in case you’re clueless like me. Oh, and there’s also a free Varage Sale app you can download to have access on your phone.
3. Totspot: I found this one through a Facebook ad, and I have only just started perusing through it. This one is mostly kids clothing. Now, it’s not local items like what I’ve posted above, but shipping is listed as a flat fee. Also, you can create “pages” for each of your littles, by name and their sizes. This way, your results are automatically sorted to be from the categories you want. So if you have a two-year old that wears 2T tops but 3T bottoms, you can sort for those sizes specifically. Additionally, I love the feature that lets you search by brand name. You can even search a certain seller and add items to create a full shipment from their store. I will definitely be shopping here for my tots in the near future.
4. Pop-Up Boutiques: I didn’t even know these existed until having kids. Pop-up boutiques are consignment sales that go on a few times a year around Orange County. Basically, people who are trying to get rid of kids stuff consign their items all in one place, and we (the bargain-hungry parents) scoop up sweet, sweet deals. Join their mailing lists to be notified of the date and time of the next event, as well as receive information about consigning (if you have your own stuff to sell). The two I know of in OC are Urban Kids Consignment and Up Up and Away Kids Consignment. I’ve been to both, and if I can share one tip, it’s to face the crowd and go on DAY 1. I’ve been a little timid and waited until day 2 or 3, and definitely missed out on the prime merch. 
   
5. Craigslist: I’m sure any bargain hunting mama knows how to navigate her way around this money-saving site. Just beware of scams, and always meet buyers or sellers in a busy public place, never home and never alone.
6. eBay: Another great way to find deals for your littles, especially if you’re looking for something specific. I love that you can pay with PayPal (I often use the money I make from selling items on eBay to buy other items from eBay). Make sure you read item descriptions carefully, and take note of shipping charges and time frames.
7. Garage Sales: These have been a little more difficult to frequent now that we have two kids (do I really need to stop and get everyone out of the car seat just to discover this sale has nothing I’m interested in?) It’s hard to pass up these bargains, though. One of the best neighborhood sales is the annual Ladera Ranch garage sale in the spring. If you can deal with the hoards of bargain shoppers, you can usually score some sweet deals, especially on children’s items like strollers, clothing, cribs, and other baby gear. Bring cash, of course, small bills, and plan to haggle. Don’t worry- sellers expect it.
8. Resale Stores: You’ll pay a little more here than at garage sales, but resale and consignment stores have great deals as well and a wide variety of merchandise. Children’s Orchard is a well-known shop, as well as Mother’s Secret in Orange. It’s crowded and cramped, so to properly hunt for deals, leave the kiddos at home with hubby.
9. Friends: Network, baby! Ask friends to trade or loan items you may need. Offer to babysit or cook them dinner in exchange for hand-me-down children’s items.

I hope you were able to find ways to buy for your littles, for less. If you have any other great places you go to find deals, please share them with us!

With Love,

Lisa Marie

Super Easy DIY Headband and Bow Holder

One of the things I had to create once we found out we were having a girl was a headband and bow holder. You would not believe how many hair accessories Scarlett accumulated before she even entered the world. I was buying turbans and gold sequins bows from eBay, Amazon, Etsy, Target, Hobby Lobby, anywhere and everywhere that sold them- they were so affordable and so cute! I searched Pinterest for a while before I came across just the right style for Scarlett’s room.

I found a simple tutorial on this website which I followed (mostly).

Materials needed:

• Picture frame
• Chicken wire
• Small cup hooks (I bought these from Amazon).
• Staple gun and staples
• Paint of choice

First, select your frame. I just used one I had stored in the garage. I sprayed it gold first (this is my favorite gold spray paint and I’ve used it all throughout the nursery). Then, I put on a layer of white chalk paint and distressed it to give it a more aged look.

Next, cut the chicken wire to fit the back of your frame. Be careful- it’s sharp! I decided that to keep in theme with our gold, mint, and coral nursery, the chicken wire needed to be sprayed gold, too! Using your staple gun, attach the chicken wire to the back of the frame.

Thirdly, decide how many hooks you want to hang along the bottom. Space equally and mark with a pencil. I fit as many as possible, obviously. Then, using a drill, pre-drill holes for your hooks. Then, screw in each hook. Tedious, yes, but pretty easy to accomplish.

Now your frame is ready to hang! Here’s the one I made, all prettied up with headbands and bows galore!

Of course, they don’t all fit. I found this cute hook at Hobby Lobby to add some more storage:

There were a lot of other great ideas besides the frame for holding and displaying headbands I found, so here’s some addtional ideas to inspire you. These were some of my favorites:

I loved this idea from Katie’s Crochet Goodies for headband storage using distressed wood and vintage knobs. It also allows for you to custom create to the size you need, and even hand-select whichever type of knobs or hooks you like to fit the room decor. Adorable.

This was another creative solution I found on Tinker with This. I love the use of clothespins and distressed wood to show off these beautiful headbands. And bonus, you can make it whatever size you need to fit your space!

Another cute idea for headbands using a jewelry holder was featured on Project Nursery. Adorable!

If you make your own headband holder or see another cute idea, please feel free to post below!

Enjoy!

With love,

Lisa Marie

Birthday Freebies

So it’s naptime and my people are all asleep (can I get a WHAT WHAT), so I thought I’d pass along a little money-saving tip with you. Last week I celebrated my birthday, and one of my favorite things to do for my birthday is NOT cook. I love to eat out, especially breakfast. Actually I love any time someone else does the cooking, but eating out for my birthday always seems extra special. But…. as I mentioned in an earlier post, I’m reevaluating my role as wife and mom, looking for ways to model myself after Christ, and after the Proverbs 31 woman. Well, one way of doing that is to reevaluation our finances (yuck) and to look for ways to be a better steward of our money (translation- eating out less). So when birthday time roles around, I’m looking for ways I can have my cake and eat it, too, you know? So that’s when I stumbled upon BIRTHDAY FREEBIES. There are tons tons tons of places that give you free birthday food if you sign up on their websites. You can google right now and find lists upon lists of restaurants and eateries that offer something free for your special day.

However, I’ve come to learn that not all birthday freebie coupons are created equal. Many of the birthday clubs I’ve signed up for require you to purchase something else off the menu. Now, the coupons are still great, but I was looking for the best deals.

Here’s what I’ve found to be some of the best birthday freebies around OC:

1. Patina Restaurant Group: This is by far the most I’ve found in terms of birthday freebies, though you’ll usually end up spending a bit more. Sign up for their birthday club and get a $30 voucher good at one of several restaurants in the group. Three of these are in Downtown Disney (Tortilla Joe’s, Catal, and Naples). You have to make a reservation, and the restaurants tend to be a bit on the pricier side. Tortilla Joe’s is the cheapest of the three. Regardless, $30 towards a birthday dinner is not too shabby! Their website has a list of all the other restaurants you can use the voucher at, as well.
2. Krispy Kreme: Get a coupon for a free donut on your birthday!
3. Bucca de Beppo: Signing up for this birthday club will give you $20 off any two pasta entrees for your birthday. I haven’t actually eaten here since high school, so I’m saving my birthday coupon to use later on this month. From what I can remember, the portions here are huge (meant to be served family style), so the prices are higher than your typical Italian restaurant.
4. Rubios Beach Club: Another one of my favorite eateries, so of course I loved this coupon. Get a free meal (burrito, salad, bowl, combo plate, coastal trio…) using their mobile birthday coupon after signing up. Mind the expiration date, though, as it’s not good for long.
5. Red Robin: Another solid freebie- a free burger or chicken sandwich for your birthday.
6. Jersey Mikes: Free sub and drink coupon! Score! The catch: you must print the coupon, and you must go ON YOUR BIRTH DAY….
7. Starbucks: Besides a free drink on your birthday, signing up for a Starbucks account gives you lots of other perks, too! And it’s super easy to do it all from the Starbucks mobile app.
8. Jamba Juice: Get a free smoothie or juice drink on your birthday.

What other great birthday freebies have you found? Please share with us!

With love,

Lisa Marie