DINING: #MyWaffleAffair Instagram Contest at Waffle Affair in Newport Beach 3/1-3/13

The family and I were just at The Waffle Affair in Newport Beach sampling their waffles and sandwiches this Sunday for brunch. I tried their Vermont Cheddar & Cherrywood Bacon which is also their best seller -
Delicious! 

Other items we tried were their Turkey Club Sandwich, Liege Waffle with Bananas and Nutella, and sampled their new Coconut Mini-Bites with gourmet chocolate sauce. The children absolutely loved their hot dog Bites and Dips which is also available with sausage.

Easter Bunny Photo Experience, Caring Bunny, and Pet Photo Night

In Southern California, we've been celebrating some wonderful warm weather lately. It feels like Spring already and soon Easter will be upon us. If photos with the Easter Bunny is a tradition, Noerr Programs have one of the best experiences, and they're now set up to capture those precious moments at Simon's Brea Mall and The Shops of Mission Viejo. Have a child with Special Needs? Be sure to find out more about their Caring Bunny experience. They also have sessions set up for your pets! 

El Torito Grill Cantina Plates First Fridays

If you're looking for a place to meet friends for drinks and small bites, check out The Cantina at El Torito Grill in Irvine on First Fridays! We went in for a tasting of the Cantina Plates featured menu by Chef Johannes Bernau, and had a delicious evening.


My drink of the night was a yummy PICA DE SANDIA which includes libre red pepper tequila, watermelon puree, fresh lime juice, agave nectar, and a Tajin chile rim. I would like another please!

Their APPLE & BRIE QUESADILLA is a must! It has a nice texture and comes with melted brie, sliced granny smith apples, toasted walnuts, wild arugula, and fig jam. 

If you have tacos on your mind, they've got 'em! Select between FILET MIGNON ASADA TACOS which include filet mignon, bacon, chipotle slaw, pickled red onions, jalapeño, and cotija OR SHRIMP & CHORIZO TACOS.

Cute Kid Cover Contest 2016 | Jamboree at Cube 3/5 (10 am - 3pm ) + Free Ticket

Do you have a child between the ages of 6 months to 10 years old? Parenting OC Magazine is looking for contestants for their next Cutest Kid Cover issue!

Last day to register is this Friday, February 26th. Registrants will receive a photo shoot appointment time via email and must be available on Saturday, March 5th, 2016 at Parenting OC’s Jamboree event hosted by the Discovery Cube (free admission). Online voting will begin on Monday, March 21, and winners will be announced Friday, April 22nd. 

There are three categories:

• Cutest Baby
• Cutest Tot
• Cutest Kid

Get more details below! 

FUN MAIL: Bolthouse Farms Juice Plus a Giveaway! #BolthouseFarms

Most recently Bolthouse Farms sent me a shipment of their beverages to sample. I am so glad they did, because now I am a fan. The bottles come in many varieties for breakfast, a daily boost, or thirst quenching. They are especially great to grab when we're on the go. Learn more about it below and enter for a chance to win a sample box of your own!

Date Night: WICKED Musical at Segerstrom Center #SCFTA

This was our second outing since we had the baby. Like two aimless teenagers, we ran out into the evening traffic to celebrate our official Valentine’s Date Night with a performance of "Wicked" at Segerstrom Center. Before heading to the play, we wined and dined at Marche Moderne (in the Penthouse of South Coast Plaza). I was able to make a last minute reservation online using OpenTable. The food and ambiance was perfect for two parents who much needed a break.We told the restaurant staff ahead of time that we had to catch a theater performance, and they were so helpful and prompt at getting us in and out within an hour.

If you have never been to Segerstrom, I suggest arriving no later than 30 minutes before your performance to allow time for parking and to pick up your tickets from Will Call. With week night traffic, we barely made it to our seats, but were saved by the bell as we walked in. 

Innovative Summer Camps with Galileo | Early Bird Savings #galileocamps AD

It's never too early to think about Summer Camps or what the children will do this summer. Where are the children's interests? What are their strengths and weaknesses? At Galileo Camp, they will teach Campers how to create without the fear of making mistakes. They believe that making mistakes lead to more learning opportunities and children shouldn't be afraid to make them. I couldn't agree more. 

Mistakes are Marvelous

Doing homework can be a real struggle at times. My kids are easily distracted, unmotivated, or they make careless mistakes and don't want to fix them. It makes us all frustrated when it takes too long, and dread homework time. Fortunately for us, this past year has been much better! I had to understand that each individual child have different needs, and they both needed that 1:1 individual attention from me. Separating them helped a lot. The turning point was when I realized I needed to take a step back and observe their learning style and figuring out how to motivate them and encourage them to love to learn.

GRAND OPENING: Orchard Supply Hardware Buena Park Feb 20-21st PLUS a Giveaway! #myoshmoment

Buena Park has a new Orchard Supply Hardware (OSH) store! It's located right next to the Buena Park Mall on Dale Street. The store is currently open now, but their official Grand Opening Celebration is Saturday, February 20th and Sunday, February 21st. The first 100 adults in line on Saturday gets a $25 Gift Card, and the first 1,000 customers on Saturday and Sunday gets a Canvas Shopping Tote!

We went on a tour of the store recently and found that they carry specialized/hard-to-find items in each department (like hard to find replacements for lamps). If they don't have it, they will try to order it for you. If you haven't been to an OSH, their parent company is Lowe's, but their environment is different in a way that it's more inviting and comfortable to shop items for your home, and you get a more personalized experience to customize and make things your own. They're big on paint, backyard decor, hardware, and backyard outdoor like patio heaters, furniture, umbrella cushions, and other accessories. When we were there, they were making room for spring and BBQ grills.

GIVEAWAY: Yogurtland Celebrates Kung Fu Panda 3 with Flavor Pandamonium!

Kung Fu Panda 3 is now playing in theaters and Yogurtland is celebrating with Flavor Pandamonium! Teaming up with DreamWorks Animation to celebrate the new movie, Yogurtland introduces five new flavors, collectable spoons, and other Kung Fu Panda 3 merchandise available at select stores now through February 28th.

Rockin Jump Orange County Trampoline Park in Santa Ana

Need your kids physically active and looking for a way to burn off that energy? One of the newest trampoline parks in Orange County is Rockin' Jump Trampoline Park in Santa Ana. Their motto is "Jumpsafe. Clean. Fun." Attractions include trampolines, a rock climbing tower, dodgeball courts, slam dunk zone, stunt bag area, tripwire lazer maze, and X-Beam arena. They want to keep it smelly-free so they make everyone buy their rockin' socks.

I took my family there the other day and I like that there are lots of space to run around, and there's a lounging area with wide screen TV's and a cafe area. There are monitoring screens on both sides of this gray wall so you can always keep an eye on your kids if you're not jumping with them. 

Rockin' Cafe

Getting hungry or need a snack? You don't need to go very far to feed the family, because there's an onsite cafe which offers small bites like personal-size pizza, chicken strips, hot dogs, nachos, pretzels, french fries, salads, and wraps as well as snacks like candy, chips, cookies and beverages.

THEATER: Perô, or Mysteries of the Night 2/20-2/21 | Family Series @SegerstromArts

This theatrical performance is part of the Family Series at Segerstrom Center for the Arts.

Perô, or Mysteries of the Night, an award-winning collaboration between Speeltheater Holland and Childsplay returns to Orange County for three performances on February 20 and 21st! An adaptation of the popular children's book by French author Michel Tournier (Pierrot ou les secrets de la nuit), this performance tells a story of Pero, a baker in a tiny Italian village with a broken heart. Pero is bashful and has a secret crush on laundress Colombina, but she is attracted to someone else. Will Colombina ever know? Will the village run out of bread because Pero is too sad to bake? This performance will include puppets, actors, singers, and live musicians to bring this love story to life.

New LEGO Movie™ 4D at LEGOLAND plus limited offer | #LEGOLANDCA #TheLEGOMovie4D

It's the return of Emmet, Wyldstyle, MetalBeard, Benny and Unikitty! Following it's debut in Florida on January 28, "The LEGO Movie™ 4D A New Adventure" officially opened at LEGOLAND California Resort on February 6th, and will soon be playing at all other LEGOLAND theme parks and LEGOLAND Discovery Centers worldwide in 2016!

Actors Elizabeth Banks (Wyldstyle), Nick Offerman (MetalBeard), Charlie Day (Benny) and Alison Brie (Unikitty) return to voice their iconic characters with a new character and villain created exclusively for the attraction, Patton Oswalt as Risky Business, President Business' brother. 

The 12 ½-minute story finds the gang entangled in an Evil Secret Plot involving a mysterious theme park inspired by their adventures in “The LEGO Movie,” one that requires them to call on the Master Builder skills of a surprise ally to save the day.

$25 Lottery Tickets for WICKED @SegerstromArts! #WickedMusical #SCFTA

WICKED returns to Orange County this February 17-March 6! If you've been waiting for a deal for tickets, Segerstrom Center just announced Lottery Tickets for $25 each!

Based on the best-selling 1995 novel by Gregory Maguire, WICKED is the winner of over 100 international major awards, including a Grammy® and three Tony® Awards.

Harlem Globetrotters Celebrate 90 Years Visits Honda Center 2/13-14!

Providing smiles, sportsmanship, and service to millions of people worldwide, Harlem Globetrotters celebrates 90 years and will be at Honda Center in Anaheim on Saturday, February 13th and Sunday February 14th for their 90th Anniversary World Tour. As the Ambassadors of Goodwill™, the Globetrotters are giving back with The Great Assist program. Stars of the team will provide acts of goodwill in communities across North America during the tour that is set to play over 330 games in 260 cities.

For the Globetrotters’ 90-year celebration, they will feature a star-studded roster featuring Big Easy Lofton, Ant Atkinson, Hi-Lite Bruton, Thunder Law, Bull Bullard and Cheese Chisholm plus female stars TNT Maddox and Sweet J Ekworomadu. Every game will showcase incredible ball handling, rim-rattling dunks, trick shots, comedy and fan interaction. After the game, Globetrotters will sign autographs and take photos with fans.

How to Care for Orchids with Armstrong Garden Centers

Do you love orchids but don't know how to care for them? There's a free class coming up at Armstrong Garden Centers that will teach that and more. For the longest time, I would throw out my orchid plant after all the flowers have fallen. I knew that they would rebloom after a year, but they always looked dead to me and even the leaves will fall off, because I was over-watering it. Well, after consulting with an expert at Armstrong Garden, I feel much more confident and am now a proud owner of a new orchid plant. I can't wait to share what I have learned below!

As mentioned orchids bloom once a year and they stay bloomed for 4 weeks to 6 months. They like medium to bright indirect light. (They will get sunburn if they're in direct sunlight.) They make great centerpieces but not ideal for dark spaces like hallways or bathrooms.

DINING: Corner Bakery Cafe Favorites + Giveaway!

One of our favorite eateries in the area is Corner Bakery Cafe. My husband is a big sandwich guy, so he likes to order their Signature Sandwich Combos which comes with a half sandwich and side salad or cup of soup. Lately, I like to get the pastas so I can split it with my kids especially the Chicken Carbonara. I also like to meet friends there for breakfast and coffee.

  

Buttermilk Pancakes

Corner Bakery's Buttermilk Pancake breakfast comes with four pancakes served with applewood smoked bacon. Sometimes I get a side of eggs depending who's there to share it with me. It's so good!

Most recently we went back because Corner Bakery invited us to sample their favorites like the Anaheim Scrambler, Chopped Salad, and Pesto Cavatappi. We also get to send one lucky reader to try one of their favorites too! More details below!

Giveaway: NATIONAL PARKS ADVENTURE 3D Family Pack!

Happy 100th Birthday, National Parks!

NATIONAL PARKS ADVENTURE 3D, narrated by Robert Redford, takes us on an off-trail adventure into the national's great outdoors and celebrates National Parks in their 100th anniversary. There are over 400 national parks and historic sites in America such as Yosemite National Park, Grand Canyon National Park, Yellowstone National Park, Arches National Park, and more! This MacGillivray Freeman film is produced in association with Brand USA and presented globally by Expedia, Inc. and Subaru of America, Inc. and sponsored domestically by REI, Sierra Club, Sunset and Coastal Living Magazines. To celebrate our National Park's anniversary and the release of this film, they are giving away (1) NATIONAL PARKS ADVENTURE Family Pack to one lucky reader! See more below for details!

NATIONAL PARKS ADVENTURE 3D opens in IMAX® 3D at the California Science Center and giant screen theaters on February 12th! For more information about this film, please visit their website at nationalparksadventure.com.

Show Review: ILLUSIONISTS Live From Broadway at Segerstrom Center #SCFTA #TheIllusionists

My daughter Tori and I love the theater, and we were ecstatic to spend a little girl time at THE ILLUSIONISTS Live from Broadway at Segerstrom Center for the Arts. Seven of the most acclaimed Illusionists have joined on stage for a spectacular night of magic! THE ILLUSIONISTS is full of comedy, magic, and surprises. We witnessed disappearing acts, levitation, and a full view water torture escape! This two hour variety show was a spellbinding escape from reality. Show host Jeff Hobson, "The Trickster," was hilarious! He frequently interacted with the audience and was engaging. Jeff's humor was edgy, but went clear over the younger audience's head. Directored and co-produced by Neil Dorward, THE ILLUSIONISTS were Raymond Crowe, Jonathan Goodwin, Jeff Hobson, Yu Ho-Jin, James More, Dan Sperry, Adam Trent.

DEAL: Medieval Times Valentines Day All-Inclusive Couple Package #MTfan

Looking for a fun dinner and show combo for Valentine's Day? At Medievel Times Buena Park, they have a Couple's Package that is good for all shows now through February 15! The special offer includes two admissions to the show, dinner, a couple's souvenir photo, souvenir glasses, his and hers cheering flags, and a light-up rose. More info below!

Hello Kitty Cafe Truck Returns to Irvine Spectrum Sat, Feb 6 10am-8pm! #HelloKittyCafe

Sanrio Hello Kitty Fans, the Hello Kitty Cafe Truck is coming back to Orange County this Saturday, February 6 from 10 am to 8 pm! Look for them at the Irvine Spectrum! You can load up on new goodies like a macaron box set with one surprise Sanrio character macaron inside, an adorable Hello Kitty Cafe mug and a supercute pink Hello Kitty Cafe t-shirt, in addition to adorable doughnuts, mini cakes and other yummy treats!

PIE Giveaway! Whole Pie To-Go Sale Now @MarieCallenders Through February 29!

Whole Pie Sale To-Go

Where are all my pie lovers at? Marie Callender's annual Whole Pie To-Go Sale is going on now through February 29th! Choose from more than 30 varieties for only $7.99* plus tin. I can't wait to get my Pie Cards, because five (5) lucky readers will get a FREE Pie Card too!

*The Pie Sale will exclude cheesecakes, seasonal fresh fruit pies, and promotional pies. Here are some examples of what is on sale below, but you'll want to visit their website for a complete listing of pies >> www.mariecallenders.com

Super Pass Giveaway to OC Fair 2016! #OCFair2016 #GetYourFairFaceOn

Do you love the OC Fair? It's one of the best and will be here before we know it! This year's theme is "Get Your Fair Face On!" and one lucky reader will win (2) 2016 OC Fair Super Passes good July 15-August 14 (Wednesday through Sunday)! With 23 days and nights of food, rides, exhibits, animals, performances in the Pacific Amphitheatre, The Hangar and more in the Action Sports Arena, you're bound to find more reasons to visit the OC Fair more than once!

If you absolutely love the OC Fair, why not get the Super Pass? It's the Fair's annual season pass. Each Super Pass will grant each passholder access for each of the 23 days of the 2016 OC Fair, Express Entry at all admission gates, 2016 OC Fair souvenir pin, carnival value book, 20 percent off a one-time purchase at the OC Fair’s official merchandise booth, and discounts on select events in Pacific Amphitheatre, The Hangar and Action Sports Arena. Now through February 29th, they are on Pre-sale for $25 General (13-59), $18 Senior (60+), and $18 Child (6-12). {Regular Price is $35, $28, and $28.} You can get them online at www.ocfair.com/superpass.

DINING: Tale of Two Risottos at BRIO Tuscan Grille #briotuscangrille

If you love risottos, BRIO Tuscan Grille at the Irvine Spectrum is featuring “A Tale of Two Risottos.” It's a classic tale of old-world meets new, and they're both available for lunch and dinner through March 27!

Cold Water Lobster Tail with Shrimp Risotto

This dish is served with broiled Maine lobster tail over risotto with shrimp, mushrooms, roasted red peppers, asparagus, basil and Parmesan. It is savory and delicious!

Sea Scallops & Ratatouille Risotto

This entree includes (5) large seared sea scallops and is served over roasted vegetables like eggplant, red peppers, zucchini, tomato compote, basil and Reggiano. It is seasoned well and tasty as well.

ILLUSIONISTS - LIVE FROM BROADWAY @SegerstromArts February 2-7th #SCFTA

Do you love magic shows? THE ILLUSIONISTS — LIVE FROM BROADWAY features talents of seven illusionists, and they're coming to Orange County to perform at Segerstrom Center for the Arts February 2-7! 

• The Manipulator, Yu Ho-Jin, was recently named the 2014 “Magician of the Year,” by Academy of Magical Arts and was the first Asian to win the Grand Prix at the Fédération Internationale des Sociétés Magiques, also known as the “Olympics of Magic.” 
• The Anti-Conjuror, Dan Sperry. Described as Marilyn Manson meets David Copperfield, Dan combines the art of magic with the macabre and is one of the top-10 most Googled people, thanks to a legendary “America’s Got Talent” appearance. 
• The Trickster, Jeff Hobson is the epitome of glamour and showmanship. Don’t be fooled by his innocent appearance; Jeff has audiences laughing long after the curtain goes down. 
• The Escapologist, Andrew Basso. Italy’s star escape artist, Andrew considers Houdini his hero and is fast becoming one of the world’s most popular illusionists. He is the only person in the world to perform Houdini’s famous Water Torture Cell with absolutely no covers. 
• The Inventor, Kevin James, known for innovative illusions, is an inventor, comedian and collector of the strange and unusual. Kevin is one of the most prolific inventors of magic in the world and has created some of the most celebrated illusions of the last century. 
• The Weapon Master, Ben Blaque, established himself as America’s foremost master of the crossbow after appearing four times on America’s Got Talent. He performs incredibly dangerous acts of dexterity using highly powerful crossbows to shoot various objects supported by his assistant. 
• The Deceptionist, James More, is known for his modern approach to magic, involving fast-paced, high-risk illusions, combined with his good looks and charisma. He takes the art of illusion to new heights, with a performance that promises to keep you on the edge of your seat. 

Monster Jam Anaheim Highlights #MonsterJam

Disclosure: We attended as media.

We have been waiting for this! You might have noticed this past weekend, we were at Monster Jam at the Angels Stadium in Anaheim. The show kicked off with a tribute to service men and women, they sang the National Athem, and then displayed fireworks as the trucks entered the stadium.

No time was wasted as they started the qualifying rounds for the races. Racing two at a time, eliminations moved fairly quickly as they narrowed it down to one Monster Truck with the best race time.  It was a super close race between El Toro Loco and VP Mad Scientist. The judges had to go over the footage in slow motion to determined one winner. In the end, El Toro Loco takes the win!

STACKED: #FoodWellBuilt in Huntington Beach Now Open and Serving Breakfast!

Orange County is in for a unique dining experience as STACKED: Food Well Built opens their first OC location in Huntington Beach! Each table has an iPad where you can customize and build each entree to your personal taste and send it to the kitchen at your own pace.

NEW Breakfast Menu! 

(only available at Huntington Beach location)

Now serving in Huntington Beach location only, STACKED offers a fully customizable breakfast. Choose from varieties of Pancakes, French Toast, Benedicts, Scrambles, Breakfast Burritos, Yogurt Bowls, or STACK your own and build it yourself.