This weekend in OC – 1/7/11

There are lots of fun things happening around here right now! In case you’re looking for something fun to do, here are a few ideas:

Home Depot free kids’ workshop tomorrow from 9 am – noon for kids ages 5 – 12. Home Depot offers free kids’ workshops the first Saturday of every month. This month, you and your kiddos can build a savings shed. Read all about it courtesy of Daytripping Mom here

Saturday is also Target free Saturday at the La Habra Children’s Museum. Free admission all day! If you’ve never taken your kids to this museum, I highly recommend it. There are lots of fun exhibits there like the Carousel Room, the Science Station and the Kids on Stage room, complete with costumes, lighting, sound effects and more! For more information, click here

Sunday there’s a guided nature walk happening at Santiago Oaks park in Orange. The walk is free, parking is $5. The nature center opens at 10 am, and the beginner walk goes from 11 am – 1 pm. You can see all the details here

Looking for a culinary adventure? Try conveyor belt sushi with your kiddos! This is one of Real OC Daughter’s favorite outings. There are 3 places we’ve enjoyed – Kura Sushi in Costa Mesa, Kula Sushi in Irvine, and Sushilicious in Irvine. Kula in Irvine probably has the best quality sushi of the 3 mentioned, but they also tend to have the longest wait – they’re located in the Diamond Jamboree Plaza which can get pretty crowded. But, if you do head there, you can always check out Sticki Picki in the same center for some family fun (think costumes, photo booths, and computerized effects) or Guppy House for a shaved ice for dessert. Kura Sushi is our go-to for conveyor belt sushi. It’s not the best sushi I’ve ever had, but it’s fresh and tasty, and Real OC Daughter tends to be an adventurous eater when we go there. Plus, House of Yogurt is right down the street for a yummy treat afterwards.

Whatever your weekend brings, may it be full of fun and laughter!

Kura Sushi in Costa Mesa - a Real OC Family favorite!

Filed under: Dining out in the OC, Things to do in the OC
by real oc mom
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06
Jan
2012

Real Tip – Creative Way to Display Holiday Photo Cards

I published this last year around the holidays, and thought it would be a great reminder for those looking to cherish their photo cards. Works great on a coffee table or desk.

This time of year, I am reminded of how fortunate we are to have so many wonderful families in our lives. We receive holiday cards with beautiful photos every day, and we love looking at the photos and seeing how everyone has changed, and how their kids are growing up.

Then the season ends, and we are left with a stack of beautiful photos, all too precious to throw away. But I can’t bring myself to pack up any more bits of paper, so what’s a mom to do?

Well, a glass-covered coffee table in our family room is the perfect display spot! About 5 years ago, when we first moved into the house we live in now, we purchased a new round coffee table to complement our 12-foot long sectional sofa (yes, we like our seating here at the Real OC House). The coffee table is very pretty, but has a sleek, shiny finish on it, rather than the distressed finish of the coffee table we had before. So I immediately made a template out of butcher paper and ordered up a piece of glass for it.

Then that year, when I was trying to figure out what to do with all the holiday photos cards, hubs had a fantastic idea – trim the photos and place them under the glass of our coffee table! That way, we can enjoy the photos all year long. Our daughter loves looking at family and friends every day, and when friends come over, the kids always enjoy finding their photo in the collage. It’s a really neat way to be reminded of the many wonderful people in our lives who we might not have time to talk with as much as we’d like!

I have many friends who save their holiday photo cards creatively – by scrapbooking them each year, tying them together in a bundle by year and saving them with the holiday decorations, or scanning each photo and saving it digitally. But for our family, we enjoy having them in a spot where we spend a lot of time. It works for us, and might work for you, too!

Note: I really, really wanted to include a photo of the table with the photos, but decided not to for privacy reasons.

Filed under: Helpful Tips
by real oc mom
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31
Dec
2011

New Year’s Resolutions

Do you make resolutions at the start of each year? If so, how well do you keep them? Or even remember them?

I find myself getting very introspective as the year comes to a close, thinking of all the unfinished projects, unspoken words, unreached goals. But for some reason, I don’t think about them until the end of the year. Which makes it kind of tough to follow through on a resolution, right?

Maybe if I jotted down a few it would help. Then I could go back and read them throughout the year to see how I’m doing…if I remember, that is!

So, here goes – my list of resolutions for 2012.

1. Be a better listener. Listen to my daughter laughing and my husband singing. My thoughts and “chores” often interfere with my ability to listen what is going on around me, and I think I’m really missing out! I want to be a more active listener to my family and friends.

2. Live in the present. This kind of goes along with #1. I need to enjoy moments more, rather than letting my thoughts get in the way. A wise doctor I saw this past year told me to take 5 minutes each morning and really savor and enjoy my hot shower, rather than standing there going through my mental to-do list. It’s harder than it sounds!

3. Exercise more regularly. I go to the gym about 2 or 3 times a week, but it’s not enough. I need more frequent, regular exercise. It makes me a happier person all around.

4. Hang up my clothes (if they’re clean) when I take them off at the end of the day. I lay them on my vanity or the bench at the foot of our bed. It’s just as easy to hang them, so why don’t I just do that?

5. Try new cuisine. I want to venture out into cooking more exotic foods – Indian, Japanese, South American. Now that my daughter is a little older, she’s more adventurous about food. Plus, what’s the worst that happens? We all hate it and I whip up some grilled cheese sandwiches!

6. Sit up straight. I find myself slouching at my desk when I get into my work. Not good for my back at all!

7. Go on more dates with my husband. He’s busy, I’m busy, our time together gets put on the back burner. But regular dates are an important part of a strong marriage, so we need to make that a priority.

8. Keep in touch. I’m horrible at staying in touch with family and friends. I’m going to make an effort to call someone I haven’t spoken to in awhile once every few weeks. Or set up to meet for coffee to catch up in person!

9. Decorate our Master Bedroom. It’s the only room in our house that has been completely, totally ignored. It’s tidy, but there is no personality in there. I’m going to give myself a small but reasonable budget, and finally do something with our room.

10. Honestly, I’m sitting here trying to think of a Number 10 resolution, just to have a list that feels “complete”. And I just realized how silly that is. If I’m done at #9, then I’m done, right? So, no #10. Or, maybe it’s just to stop being so darned particular.

This weekend, I plan on ringing in 2012 with good friends, at 9 pm (we’ll pretend that’s because of the kids), and being thankful for all that the new year has in store for me. If I can keep any of my resolutions, that will be a first for me! And if I don’t, well, I’m no worse off than I am right now, and right now, I’m pretty good.

Happy New Year from the Real OC Mom!

May 2012 be a year full of everything real and meaningful to you.

Filed under: Random Musings
by real oc mom
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29
Dec
2011

Meal Plan – 11/14

I’m LOVING the fall weather – and the excuse to eat “cozy” food. But since I’m not ready to go into hibernation just yet, I’m on the hunt for recipes that taste comforting, without being calorie or fat-laden. I’ve found a few that look pretty good, and we’re ready to give them a try this week.

Monday – Still trying to stay meatless on Mondays, and this butternut squash soup looks like fall in a pot! I’m going to try to up the ante on the nutrients by using sweet potatoes instead of regular potatoes, and throwing in some extra veggies, like carrots and green beans. I’ll serve up a side of cornbread for extra deliciousness.

Tuesday – This recipe for slow cooker pineapple pork looks pretty yummy. I happen to have an organic roasting chicken in the freezer taking up a bit of space, so I’m going to defrost that, cut it into pieces, and use that instead of the pork. I’m also going to try using fresh pineapple instead of canned, and a bit of chicken broth to keep it moist. I’ll serve it up over brown rice and add a side of healthy greens (sauteed spinach or chard, steamed broccoli, or romaine salad) for a balanced meal.

Wednesday – Since this is our craziest day of the week, I’m going to try out this quick and easy sausage and lentils meal. I’ve got the Trader Joe’s pre-cooked lentils in the fridge already, so I think I can shorten the cook time down to 15 minutes, instead of 30. I’ll add some diced carrots and celery for extra veggies, and use chicken sausage to cut out some of the fat. We’ll have whole grain naan bread on the side, along with some orange slices.

Thursday – I’m a big fan of cabbage rolls, but lacking for time to make such things. However, this crockpot version of cabbage roll stew looks pretty tasty. I’m going to omit the chili flakes, since I don’t love spicy stuff. This already has some veggies in it, so I’ll probably serve some sliced fresh fruit on the side, and maybe some whole wheat rolls.

Friday – it’s all about leftovers tonight. I will have cooked all week long, and anything that’s left is fair game for tonight’s dinner.

Hope you have a great week full of delicious, healthy meals!

Filed under: Meal Plans, Recipes
by real oc mom
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12
Nov
2011

Fun Weekend Activity – Kids’ Garden Workshop

Do you ever feel like your kids have no idea where food comes from? We get a basket of produce from Tanaka Farms every week, and we still find surprises in there! Like a stalk of edamame beans (no, they don’t just come from a freezer bag at TJ’s), or persimmons, or one of my daughter’s favorites that I never would have thought to try making, ruby chard. Farm-fresh food is educational, fun, and healthy!

If you’re searching for new ways to introduce your kids to fresh produce, you might want to check out the free garden workshop this Sunday from 11 am – 1 pm at the Great Park in Irvine. Parking and admission are free, and the workshop runs every half hour. This Sunday, the workshop is all about locally grown foods and the history of food production in OC. The kids also get to make a seed tape of their favorite local crop to take home and plant.

Can’t make it this Sunday? There will be another workshop on December 11th, all about rain and why it’s so important.

These look like great opportunities to get into the outdoors with the family and enjoy a fun, hands-on learning experience!

Make sure to call the Visitors Center (1-866-829-3829) before you go to confirm the event is still going – they will cancel if the weather isn’t great.

For more information, click HERE.

Filed under: Things to do in the OC
by real oc mom
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11
Nov
2011

Reminder: get 20% off your Beauty.com order!

Reminder: get 20% off your Beauty.com order!.

This is such a great deal Beauty.com offers once a year – I just stocked up on all kinds of good stuff – haircare, lotion, perfume, and skin care. Go check it out!

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by real oc mom
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10
Nov
2011

Halloween Candy and Orthodontics Don’t Mix

Real OC Daughter LOVES sweets – candy, cookies, cupcakes, ice cream, whatever. If it’s sweet, she’s a big fan. Can’t say I blame the girl, to be honest!

But now that she’s got palate expansion going on, as a pre-cursor to braces, there are a lot of candies that she just can’t have – gum, blow pops, tootsie rolls, milk duds, and anything else that’s sticky/gooey.

So for a girl who gets pretty fired up about the spoils of annual trick-or-treating, all those restrictions can be a bit of a drag.

As we were out and about, collecting candy, Real OC Daughter got a little misty-eyed at the prospect of not being able to enjoy so much of her loot. She was pretty down about it, to be honest.

Enter the mom playbook. This is why it’s handy to have lots of mommy friends, and read lots of mommy blogs!

I thought about my good friend whose daughter has a severe peanut allergy. She goes trick-or-treating, so as not to miss out on the experience, but she gets to turn her candy in for prizes, since she can’t eat most of it.

“There’s my solution!”, I realized. I quietly pulled her aside, and whispered to her that she could exchange any candy she couldn’t eat or didn’t want for a prize when we got home.

Her eyes lit up immediately – “A prize? Wow!”. She pondered that for a moment.

Then she asked, “Can I exchange my candy for a dog?”

Okay, maybe my plan wasn’t fool proof. I probably should have given some examples.

We agreed on a decorate-your-own jewelry box kit, complete with stick-on jewels and glitter. Not quite a dog, but it did encourage her to give up some of that candy!

Hope you had a wonderful Halloween!

Real OC Daughter as Susan, Queen of Narnia

Filed under: Random Musings
by real oc mom
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02
Nov
2011

Meal Plan for 10/31 – a Week of Crockpot Meals

Happy Halloween everybody! Real OC Daughter is so excited to get all dressed up and collect lots of candy. We’re heading out for some serious trick-or-treating, so I’m not making dinner Monday night. But I am going to attempt a week of crockpot meals this week. I’m determined to learn some crockpot meals that my whole family will enjoy. Here’s what I’m planning:

Monday – Well, I’m not making dinner, but I am going to give a crockpot breakfast a try. This one is actually cooking right now (Sunday night) so it’s all ready to go for Monday morning. It’s a pumpkin custard oatmeal from SkinnyCrockpot.com. Looks delicious!

Tuesday – I’m going with SkinnyCrockpot.com again, and making their Balsamic Chicken. I’ve actually made this before, and served it over whole wheat penne pasta with a sprinkling of parmesan cheese on top. It’s really yummy! I’ll serve it up with a side of steamed green beans. And any leftovers will be delicious for lunch.

Wednesday – I thought this Honey Chicken (yes, also from SkinnyCrockpot.com) looked particularly delicious. I picked up some whole wheat naan bread from TJ’s to serve on the side, along with a dinner salad.

Thursday – I’m a big fan of the chicken tacos at Cafe Rio (there’s one in Costa Mesa and one in Tustin) so I’m going to attempt some Cafe Rio chicken. There are lots of recipes on the internet for making chicken that tastes like theirs, but they all call for bottled salad dressing and powdered ranch mix – not my favorite ingredients. A friend of mine, though, says she makes chicken in the crockpot that tastes very similar using just chicken breast, 2 tomato bullion cubes, and water. I’m going to give this a try – 4 organic chicken breasts, one cup of water, and a tomato bullion cube cooked on low for 4-6 hours. I’ll shred the chicken and make chicken tacos for dinner, along with rice, beans, cheese, lettuce, tomato and avocado.

Friday – I’m hoping we have some leftovers either from Wednesday or Thursday night. If not, I’ll grab something from the freezer – Trader Joe’s chicken gyoza and edamame, or a TJ’s frozen spinach pizza and side salad. I always have something in there that can pass as dinner!

Happy Halloween, and have a great week! Oh, and if you have any great family-friendly crockpot recipes, please share in a comment. I’d love some more ideas!

Filed under: Meal Plans, Recipes
by real oc mom
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30
Oct
2011

The Purpose of Life

Every once in awhile, my daughter will ask questions that make my head spin. She is very philosophical in nature – I would describe her as an “old soul”. If you’ve ever met her, you know exactly what I’m talking about.

So, I was putting her to bed the other night, and in the dark, when she feels safest talking to me, I asked if she had any questions about anything. She said she had a question that no one, not even Dad, had been able to answer, and it was really bothering her.

Oh, no…..

Here it comes…..

She begins:

“What IS the purpose of life? I mean, what am I supposed to be doing? Am I supposed to be the world’s most amazing gymnast, or an incredible scientist, or what? Because really, Mom, I get up in the morning, I go to school, I come home and do homework, go to gymnastics class, eat, shower, sleep, and then do it all over again. That doesn’t feel like a purpose.”

Oh, goodness. She’s 7 and already feeling like a hamster on a wheel, wondering when and how she is supposed to jump off. That can’t be good! I mean, I completely understand where she’s coming from, but those are the thoughts I have when I’m cleaning sticky unidentifiable goo off the floor, getting up at 5 am to squeeze in a workout because there’s no other time to do it, or jumping out of bed in the middle of the night because I just remembered her t-shirt she’s supposed to wear to school isn’t clean. These aren’t thoughts I had at 7 years old.

I took a deep breath, and dove in with an attempt at an answer.

“Well, this is a question people have been asking themselves for thousands of years, and no one really has an answer. I’m not sure we’re meant to understand our purpose. I think we’re supposed to live our best life, be our best self. I know right now it seems like you do the same thing day after day, but if you’re meant to be an amazing gymnast, then right now you need to get lots of rest, eat healthy food, and go to gym class regularly so your body can grow and develop properly. And if you’re meant to be an incredible scientist, then right now it’s your job to go to school and learn as much as you can so you can discover something the world really needs. But more importantly, your purpose right now is to be a kid, and enjoy childhood. Play, spend time with friends, read, discover, create, imagine.”

Then I added that I’m not even sure I know what my purpose is.

Her response? ”To be the most awesome Mom ever, of course!”

That kid sure knows how to turn my heart to mush!

I guess she was satisfied with my answer, because she hasn’t brought it up again. Since that discussion, she’s learned how to run across the playground while twirling a hula hoop around her ankle, painted a halibut for her grandpa based on the memory of a poster hanging in his office that she hasn’t seen since July, created a 5-course meal made entirely of play-dough, and built a city of fairy houses made of construction paper and beads. She’s still singing in the shower, and dancing around while she gets dressed for school in the morning.

What a relief that there’s still a 7-year-old in that brain of hers!

Filed under: Random Musings
by real oc mom
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26
Oct
2011

Meal Plan for 10/24

Whew…is it the start of another week already? Boy how the time flies! I’ve made my list, and I’m getting ready to head out to the grocery store for the week. Here’s what we’ll be eating this week at the Real OC House.

Monday – winter squash and apple soup and grilled cheese sandwiches. This soup looks really yummy and just perfect for fall, and with a side of grilled cheddar on whole wheat bread, sounds like a perfect easy dinner.

Tuesday – Turkey meatloaf, oven baked sweet potato fries and roasted veggies. I love making up two batches of this meatloaf and freezing one for later. And since I’ve been pretty busy lately, I’ve stocked the freezer with some easy side dishes, including sweet potato fries that I bought at Sprout’s (they also have them at TJ’s and Whole Foods). Those make a great side dish with this meatloaf. And since we pick up our farm box from Tanaka Farms on Tuesdays, I’ll have a fresh batch of veggies to choose from for roasting – probably some carrots, broccoli, or cauliflower.

Wednesday – Super-easy tacos tonight. I love the pre-cooked carnitas from Trader Joe’s – just toss it in a saucepan with some of their yummy Salsa Verde, stir, and heat through. I’ll add a side of pinto beans, baked Mexican rice, and set up a taco bar with grated cheese, chopped lettuce and tomatoes, avocado, cilantro, diced onion and red pepper. Yummy!

Thursday – Leftover night. Chances are, we’ll have some leftover meatloaf and soup, and taco fixings from the night before. I’ll make a nice salad with some crunchy romaine lettuce and the chopped veggies from taco night, and serve that alongside the soup and meatloaf for a well-rounded meal.

Friday – Happy Anniversary to Real OC Dad and me! I’d love to give you all an idea for tonight’s dinner, but, well, we’re heading out! Not sure where we’re going yet, but I’m sure not cooking tonight. We’re celebrating 11 years of wedded bliss, and there won’t be any dishes to wash afterwards!

Have a great week, and eat well!

Filed under: Meal Plans, Recipes
by real oc mom
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23
Oct
2011