The Thankful Jar

We started a thankful jar at our house this week, and it’s been a really nice addition to our dinner conversations.  It’s nothing fancy, really.  I took an old glass jar that had peppercorns in it, washed it a few times and dried it out.  Then I cut little slips of paper and wrote one or two words to help inspire thoughts of gratitude.

My family

My friends

Kind words

Good deeds

A tool

An invention

My room

My home

A place

A teacher

An activity

Food

A memory

Each night at dinner, every person selects one piece of paper from the jar.  Then we talk about how we are thankful for what is written on our paper.  Tonight at dinner, I was thankful for kind words – I talked about how powerful words are, and what an amazing power it is to be able to use kind words to make someone feel good all day long.  Then I shared a story about a mom at our new school who made a point to come up to me a couple of weeks ago and tell me how sweet and kind my daughter is, and how happy she is to have her and our family at the school.  Her kind words made me feel welcome and gave me a good feeling inside the rest of the day.

My husband was thankful for an invention.  He talked about the marvels of modern medicine and all the things that are possible today that weren’t possible before medical research and technology.  He and I shared a secret glance – our daughter is a miracle made possible by IVF, so I knew exactly what he was talking about.  Then we transitioned into a discussion on science, invention, the power of the individual mind, and the settlement of America by the Pilgrims.  Our daughter was able to really contribute to the conversation because they have been studying Pioneer life in great detail at school.

Our daughter was thankful for family.  She talked about how wonderful family is because they take care of you.  Then she talked about how she is thankful for her extended family, and particularly, her two younger cousins.  She talked about her cousin who lives nearby and who is 18 months old.  She’s just starting to talk a lot, so she’s really fun to play with right now.  Then our daughter reflected on how special her little cousins are to her and how thankful she is to have them in her family.

Life is pretty busy, especially this time of year.  So I try really hard to slow down for just a little bit and think about the important stuff.   The thankful jar is just one simple way to remind ourselves of what really matters – home, family, friends, kindness. Perhaps your family would enjoy a thankful jar too!

Filed under: Fall Activities, Family Traditions
by real oc mom
2 Comments »
17
Nov
2010

This Weekend in OC Oct 22 – 24

Friday, October 22:

Bats, Cats & Spiders – Toddler Program at the OC Zoo. 10 – 11 am.  Head on over for Halloween fun! Learn all about bats, cats and spiders. Class includes hands-on learning and fun crafts. PLEASE NOTE SPACES FILL QUICKLY FOR THIS CLASS! Please see special instructions.
Event Fee: $5.00 per child (One parent included)
Parking Fee: Irvine Park entry weekdays $3 per car; weekends $5 per car
Age: 3-4 years old

Orange County Zoo
1 Irvine Park Road
Orange, CA 92869
(714)973-6847

Special Instructions: PHONE REGISTRATION REQUIRED. Call Marcy Crede-Booth, Education Coordinator at (714) 973-6846. Additional parents/siblings/family/friends must pay admission fee to enter zoo.

Storytime at the OC Zoo. 11:30 am.  After Bats, Cats and Spiders, stick around for story time under the beautiful coastal live oak trees! Children of all ages are welcome!
Age: all ages

Orange County Zoo
1 Irvine Park Road
Orange, CA 92869
(714)973-6847

Full Moon Walk at the ENC. 6:30 pm.  Join a naturalist for a walk under the full moon and learn the legends about it.  Refreshments are provided, but bring your own mug, please.  Cost is $5 per participant.  Appropriate for ages 6 and up.  Reservations are required – call 949-645-8489 to RSVP.  For more information, click here

Saturday, October 23:

Saturday Morning Hike at O’Neill Regional Park. 9 am.  Join a naturalist on a one hour interpretive hike. Learn about the plants, animals and history of O’Neill Regional Park. Meets at the Nature Center.
Parking Fee: $5

O’Neill Regional Park
30892 Trabuco Canyon Road
Trabuco Canyon, CA 92678
(949)923-2260 or (949)923-2256

Special Instructions: Wear appropriate footwear, sunscreen, hats, and bring water. Fairly easy hike, but does include elevation change.

Tustin Old Town Art Walk. 10 am – 4 pm.  Fine art on display and for purchase, bus tours of old town Tustin, wine tasting, children’s art at the library, and more!  Event is free, wine tasting is $20.  For more information, click here

Autumn Harvest Festival at Heritage Hill Park in Lake Forest. 4 – 9 pm.  Celebrate fall at Heritage Hill!! Enjoy crafts, games, family entertainment, a haunted house, mazes, trick or treating throughout the park and a Halloween costume parade!! Fun for the whole family. Presented by City of Lake Forest.

Note:  there is a “Haunt at Heritage Hill” event from 5:30 – 10:30 pm, as well.  This event includes a haunted house, mazes, ghosts, music and a classic scary movie screening, but is recommended for ages 13 and up.

Event Fee: $3 for children (3-12yrs.) and $4 for adults.

Heritage Hill Historical Park
25151 Serrano Rd
Lake Forest, CA 92630
949-923-2230 or (949)923-2232

Haunted Campground at Doheny State Beach. 6:30 – 8:30 pm.  Arts & crafts, face painting, educational booths, and more! Admission is free, but donations of canned goods are greatly appreciated.  For more information, click here

Sunday, October 24:

Pumpkins and Pancakes at South Coast Plaza.  8 – 11 am.  Come enjoy a pancake breakfast, live entertainment, face painting, character greetings, silent auction, arts & crafts, and more!  You can read more about it in my earlier blog post here

Weekend-long events:

Boo at the Zoo at the Santa Ana Zoo is open this Friday, Saturday and Sunday evening, from 5:30 – 8 pm.  Family-friendly “merry, not scary” Halloween fun!  $12 per person (members are $6), and kids 2 and under are free.  Get all the details here

The Irvine Park Railroad Pumpkin Patch continues all weekend.  Train rides, pumpkin patch, bounce houses, panning for gold, tractor driving, face painting, and more!  Click here for more details on the pumpkin patch and park.

Other fun ideas:

Disneyland – go check out the fall decorations and the special seasonal rides!

Knott’s Berry Farm - There’s the Halloween haunt for older kids, or Camp Spooky for the younger set (up to age 11).

The Curious George Exhibit at Pretend City is going on through January 30th.  To purchase tickets or read more about it, click here

Fullerton Arboretum – a great way to explore the outdoors and totally free!  They have a quaint children’s garden, duck pond, walking trails, orange trees, and more.

Apple picking - Apples are in season for picking just awhile longer.  And we have great apple picking about an hour away! Check out Oak Glen for a list of farms, hours of operation, and activities.

Pumpkins, corn mazes and hay rides - we’ve got plenty of ‘em all over OC.  For a list, plus a lot of other fun information on Halloween and fall activities, go here.

Catch a show - Peter Pan at the OCPAC, Annie at the Ebell Theatre, or Secretariat at the movies.  Want to watch a movie at home?  Disneynature “Oceans” was just released on DVD this week, and it’s a great educational movie for the whole family!  I highly recommend it, particularly if your kids are into animals.  There is one scene where a shark eats a sea lion, but it’s pretty tame, and at home you have that fast forward option!  You can purchase it here (disclaimer:  I do get a very small percentage if you buy it through my store, but that’s what helps keep Real OC Mom writing!)

Here’s wishing you and your real family a very happy weekend!


Filed under: Fall Activities, Things to do in the OC
by real oc mom
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21
Oct
2010

Pumpkins and Pancakes

Nothing says Halloween time here in OC like Pumpkins and Pancakes!  It’s this Sunday, Oct. 24th from 8 – 11 am at South Coast Plaza (in the Crate and Barrel/Macy’s Home Store wing).  This fun event is a chance for kids to dress up in their Halloween costumes and enjoy a pancake breakfast and lots of fun activities.  This year kids can meet lots of characters and special guests, including The Wild Thing, Curious George, Madeline, Wild Wing of the Anaheim Ducks, and more!  Plum’s Cafe (notice how that rhymes with “yums”?) will be catering the breakfast, and there will also be music, face painting, balloon artists, crafts, and lots more fun!

Tickets are $30/person if purchased by Oct. 22 at noon, or $35/person at the door.  Kids 2 and under are free.  Click here to purchase tickets.

This event is not only a fun way to get into the Halloween spirit, but it’s for a great cause, too.  Proceeds benefit Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA).  CASA trains community volunteers to serve as mentors and advocates for abused, neglected and abandoned children.  And I’ve gotta tell you, as a mom, this really tugs on my heartstrings.  Every child deserves a loving home, but unfortunately, not every child gets one.  CASA helps these kids find someone to care about them, to speak up for them, and to give them a voice where they otherwise would have none.

Even if you can’t attend this fun event, please think about sponsoring a CASA child to attend. Our family isn’t able to go this year, so we decided to send a child and her advocate to Pumpkins and Pancakes.  It’s $30 to sponsor a child or $60 for a child and advocate. You can click here to send a child to Pumpkins and Pancakes, too.

Filed under: Fall Activities, Things to do in the OC
by real oc mom
1 Comment »
19
Oct
2010

This Weekend in OC Oct 15 – 17

Fall is definitely in the air!  Well, kind of…it’s still a little warm outside.  But that doesn’t mean there aren’t plenty of fun things going on.  And the weather is just right for getting outside!  Here are just a few ideas.

Friday, October 15:

Tot Walk at Laguna Coast Wilderness Park.  9:00am to 10:00am  Bring your wee ones, babies to 3-year-olds, to explore on this easy walk with Laguna Canyon Foundation volunteers. Laguna Coast Wilderness Park, Willow Canyon Staging Area (20101 Laguna Canyon Road, just south of El Toro Road intersection). Reservations required: 949-923-2235. Parking: $3. Donation: $2/person.

Laguna Coast Wilderness Park
WILLOW CANYON STAGING AREA
LAGUNA BEACH, CA 92651
949-923-2235 or (949)923-3702

Special Instructions: CALL FOR DIRECTIONS

Saturday, October 16:

The Muth Interpretive Center’s 10th Anniversary Celebration.  11:00 am to 3:00 pm.  Join for the 10th anniversary celebration commemorating the opening of the Peter and Mary Muth Interpretive Center located at Upper Newport Bay Nature Preserve. Enjoy exploring open house exhibits, arts and crafts, natural and cultural presentations and refreshments. This family friendly event is free for all!
Event Fee: Free
Parking Fee: Free
Age: All

Upper Newport Bay
2301 University Drive
Newport Beach, CA 92660
(949)923-2290 or (949)923-2295

Sounds of the Lake at Dusk at Laguna Coast Wilderness Park.  6:00pm to 8:00pm.  Bring your cameras and sketchbooks for a stroll to Orange County’s only natural lake with OC Parks Ranger Molly Stallcup. Enjoy this busy time of day in the wilderness with the awakening of nighttime animals. Laguna Coast Wilderness Park, Little Sycamore Canyon Staging Area/Nix Nature Center (west side of Laguna Canyon Road/SR-133, approximately 3.5 miles south of I-5/405). Reservations required: 949-923-2235 Parking: $3. Program: $2/person.

Laguna Coast Wilderness Park
LITTLE SYCAMORE/NIX NATURE CENTER
LAGUNA BEACH, CA 92651
949-923-2235 or (949)923-3702

Special Instructions: CALL FOR DIRECTIONS

Sunday, October 17:

Acorn Day at O’Neill Regional Park.  10:00 am to 3:00pm.  Help revitalize the Oak Grove! Crafts, games, and the planting of Live Oak trees will begin at 10:00 am. OC Parks Rangers, OC Zoo and Park Naturalists will be conducting interpretive programs providing information on the area’s wildlife preservation and wilderness safety. Have some fun outdoors! Come early and take an interpretive hike at 9:00 am! For campsite reservations, go to www.ocparks.com or call 1-800-600-1600.
Event Fee: Free
Parking Fee: 5.00
Age: All Ages

O’Neill Regional Park
30892 Trabuco Canyon Road
Trabuco Canyon, CA 92678
(949)923-2260 or (949)923-2256

Pretend City Children’s Museum celebrates the Grand Opening of the Curious George Exhibit. 10 am.

Visitors can:

- Meet Curious George in person every hour!  Learn about Curious George’s endless adventures through book readings.
- Go bananas while participating in fun banana art activities in the Art Studio
- Take home a free Curious George take home activity kit!
- Listen to the Jack Johnson Curious George soundtrack

For more information, visit the Pretend City website

Annual Fall Faire at the ENC. 10 am – 3pm. Join for a day of natural fun! Find your favorite pumpkin in the pumpkin patch, listen to music, enjoy delicious food, play games, win prizes, visit our museum, and walk the nature center’s trails. You and your family and friends will be able to touch live animals and experience some of the activities offered during school programs.  The ENC is located at 1601 16th Street in Newport Beach.  For more information, go to the ENC website

Weekend-long events:

Goat Hill Junction Railroad in Costa Mesa is offering free public rides this weekend (and usually the third weekend of every month.  Saturday and Sunday, from 10 am – 3:30 pm, come on out to the station for a free train ride while enjoying the scenery of varied terrain, bridges, and the back end of the Costa Mesa golf course.  Each train ride lasts approximately 12 minutes and does two full loops through the park.  Rides are free, but donations are strongly suggested to help maintain the railroad and the beautiful scale model trains.  Get more information and location here

The Irvine Park Railroad Pumpkin Patch continues all weekend.  Please note that on Saturday, Oct 15th there is a cross country invitational inside the park which will delay parking and entry.  If you plan to visit Saturday, they are recommending you arrive after 1 pm when the meet has ended.  Click here for more details on the pumpkin patch and park.

Other fun ideas:

Disneyland – go check out the fall decorations and the special seasonal rides!

Knott’s Berry Farm – There’s the Halloween haunt for older kids, or Camp Spooky for the younger set (up to age 11).

Fullerton Arboretum – a great way to explore the outdoors and totally free!  They have a quaint children’s garden, duck pond, walking trails, orange trees, and more.

Apple picking – Apples are in season for picking just awhile longer.  And we have great apple picking about an hour away! Check out Oak Glen for a list of farms, hours of operation, and activities.

Pumpkins, corn mazes and hay rides – we’ve got plenty of ‘em all over OC.  For a list, plus a lot of other fun information on Halloween and fall activities, go here.

Catch a show – Peter Pan at the OCPAC, Annie at the Ebell Theatre, the Festival Ballet Theatre at the Barclay, or Secretariat at the movies.

Here’s wishing you and your real family a very happy weekend!

Filed under: Fall Activities, Things to do in the OC
by real oc mom
1 Comment »
14
Oct
2010

Halloween Traditions

Halloween – you either love it or you hate it, right?  For kids, it’s a great time to play pretend in a big way, and get all kinds of candy in the process.  And for adults, the sugar battle is on!  Every year, I find myself battling with both my daughter about how much candy is okay, as well as my own willpower trying to stay out of all the chocolate.  I love the costume part of the holiday, and I enjoy spending time with friends at Halloween parties, but sometimes it’s hard to make the holiday feel “special”.  I mean, it is what it is, a “grab all you can” candy fest and lots of photos of the costume that they will probably never wear again.  But maybe there’s a way to take a step back from the gluttony and find some meaning and family togetherness…

During the month of October, our family enjoys getting into the spirit of the holiday in other ways.  We put up decorations, hang the crafts Real OC Daughter has made at school over the past few years, and have fun picking out a costume.  Here are some other ways the Real OC Family gets into the Halloween spirit:

1.  Visit a local pumpkin patch or pumpkin farm.  We enjoy the Irvine Park Railroad Pumpkin Patch and Tanaka Farms.  Lots of fun activities and great photo opportunities.  Usually we go to both a pumpkin patch and Tanaka Farms – the pumpkin patches are more “activity” focus with inflatables, crafts, pony rides, etc., while Tanaka Farms is a real farm, where we can pick a pumpkin off of a vine, and pick some fall veggies too.

2.  Decorate pumpkins.  While carving pumpkins is a tradition that’s been around for a long time, painting or decorating pumpkins is a little less messy and a little more kid-friendly.  You can use paint to paint on faces or Halloween designs.  Stickers and pipe cleaners work well, too.  A friend of mine just shared with me that they used to staple black pipe cleaners on their pumpkins like legs and paint a face to make a spider – so cute!

3.  Make a special Halloween dinner.  Chili has always been our family Halloween tradition.  It’s not “spooky” or thematic, but it’s what we enjoy before we go out trick or treating.  I’ve also heard of renaming some easy favorites – “Spaghosty” and eyeballs (meatballs) or “Hallow-weenies” (hot dogs).  And if you’re feeling more creative, here are some great ideas courtesy of “Hostess with the Mostess”, a fun blog:  http://www.hostessblog.com/2009/10/creative-halloween-dinner-ideas/

4.  Watch a Halloween movie together.  Depending on the age of your kids, some ideas include “It’s the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown”, “Monsters, Inc.”, “Nightmare Before Christmas”, “Wallace and Gromit: Curse of the Were-Rabbit”, “Pooh’s Heffalump Halloween Party”, “The Haunted Mansion”, or any of the Harry Potter movies.

5.  Put on some Halloween music and dance.  There are lots of Halloween-themed songs that kids love to dance to – “Monster Mash”, “Purple People Eater”, “Thriller”, “Witch Doctor”, and “Ghostbusters” are just a few.  We have a Halloween CD we purchased years ago that we like to play, but you can easily make up a playlist on your iPod and get moving together!

And at the end of it all, we will of course, go trick-or-treating with friends.  And we will have a blast, and come home with way too much candy.  But in the meantime, we will have had some family fun, too.

Happy Halloween!

Filed under: Fall Activities, Family Traditions
by real oc mom
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13
Oct
2010