Latest Post from Tiny Oranges

I am a HUGE Serta mattress fan which is why I wanted to share a current Serta mattress special offer going on now through June 2nd, 2013. I am going on my third year working with Serta as a part of their blogger program ~ such an honor given the fact I could not be more passionate about sharing my love for their mattresses.

My husband and I were lucky enough to receive a complimentary iComfort Prodigy memory foam mattress from Serta two years ago, and have been experiencing a blissful night’s sleep ever since. In my opinion, it is the most amazing mattress.

You can read my previous iComfort mattress review here.

Last summer, as a part of my second year with their blogger program, my girls got to both select their own complimentary Serta mattress (lucky ducks) and they both sleep on the dreamy iSeries Merit mattress.

It is so comfortable I  have been known to doze off when putting them down to bed. Just happened last night in fact!

Memorial Day Triple Bonus Special Offer

With the purchase of a qualified iComfort or iSeries mattress now through June 2nd, 2013, you will receive:

~ Up to a $400 savings on a Serta Motion Perfect Adjustable Foundation. We LOVE ours. Read my review on this base here.

~ Free iComfort 2-in-1 Mattress Projector

~ 2 Free iComfort Scrunch Pillows

Check the Serta website here for participating retailers here.

If you have been needing a new mattress, now is a great time to get into a store, do your own rest test and if you purchase, receive some pretty cool incentives! When you test one out in the store you will see what I mean. So comfortable you will want to curl up for a nap right there.

Have a great weekend everyone! Happy Memorial Day to you!

 [Disclosure: My family received complimentary product to facilitate firsthand reviews of the Serta iComfort and iSeries mattresses as a part of their blogger program. Thanks to Serta we have all been sleeping very well for quite some time now!]

This guest post on a Temecula U-Pick Blueberry Farm is definitely on my list of places to take my kids! Here is what local OC mom, Susan, shares about taking her family blueberry picking in Southern California:

Every week I try to make it to the local farmers market.

I love seeing what’s in season and tasting what’s been grown locally.  I enjoy picking my own fruit and vegetables if that option is available, so when I discovered I could go to a U-Pick blueberry farm for blueberry picking, a family tradition began.

From around mid-May to early July, Temecula Berry Co. is open for U-Pick blueberries. The blueberry picking just opened last week for the season. It’s a fun family day outing that will appeal to grandparents as well as to kids.

When you first arrive, grab a colorful plastic bucket and start picking.  There are rows and rows of blueberry bushes to pick from.

The secret to getting to the biggest, plumpest berries is to look underneath the branches with the heavier foliage.  These are the biggest and sweetest blueberries I have ever seen and tasted.

I usually purchase several pints to give them to neighbors and friends. Each pint is about $5. The blueberries can be frozen so that you can enjoy them several months later.

On certain days, the farm also offers fresh blueberry bread and farm fresh eggs and some local heavenly honey.

For entertaining the little ones, they have Farmer Ray’s Chicken Show daily at 3pm.  Friday nights are movie nights on the farm for the entire month of June and they are open until 8pm on Fridays for picking. Check their Farm Calendar for times of special events.

Note they accept cash or checks only.  Admission and parking is free.

Temecula U-Pick Blueberry Farm

8am – 6pm
7 days a week

Blueberry season runs for roughly  6-8 weeks; check website before you plan to go!

After a good day of blueberry picking, we like to head into Old Town Temecula and have some finger licking good old BBQ.  There are many antique stores, specialty shops, restaurants and historic sites to visit as well.

www.temeculaberryco.com

The Newport Beach Wine Festival 2013 will be held at the beautiful Balboa Bay Resort this Memorial Day weekend and I wanted to share the details of the extraordinary food and wine events to be celebrated over three days.

Raise your hand if you like wine [I do!]

Raise your hand if you love culinary delights [I do!]

For all my moms out there with hands raised in the air, this event is for you [high five sisters!]

Newport Beach Wine Festival 2013 

Schedule of Events

Friday May 24^th

Master Sommeliers wine Dinner & Reception with Guest Chefs – The Commodore Room: 6:30pm

Six exquisite courses prepared by Executive Chef Ladeger and four guest Chefs with a parallel pairing of old and new world wines for each course.

Saturday May 25^th

Whites wines from France – The Mariner Room: 2pm

Bordeaux From Around the World – The Quarterdeck Room: 4pm

The “Grand Tasting” Gala Event – The Grand Ballroom: 7-10:30pm

The reception will be held in the Grand Ballroom with over 50 vineyards and top-notch cuisine ranging from fine cheeses to scrumptious barbeque.

Sunday May 26^th

Beer for Breakfast – Duke’s Place: 9:30am – 1:00pm

Rustic breakfast faire paired with delicious beers from Europe and other renowned parts of the world.

Australian Shiraz vs. French Rhone Syrah – The Quarterdeck Room: 2pm

Seafood on the Bay – The Lawn & Beach: 4 – 7pm

BBQ Seafood, Sushi Station, Paella Station will be accompanied by a variety of wonderful seafood pairing wines from over 20 wineries.

Cigars, Cognac, Spirits & Sweets – The Commodore Room Patio: 6-8pm

The Newport Beach Wine Festival is a proud sponsor of the 1221 Club Scholarship Fund, which raises funds throughout the year for exemplary local high school students who are college bound.

To book one or more of the Newport Beach Wine Festival events, please call 949-630-4146 or visit BalboaBayResort.com for more information.

This would be such a fun date activity to take your hubby to ~ click here to download a brochure with more information and pricing for each event!

This guest post by my friend Melanie is about how to get started juicing. I thought this would be a juicy post for Tiny Oranges. Sorry, couldn’t help it.

I have wanted to get into juicing, but didn’t really know how to get started juicing, which is why I am excited to share her easy tips.

Juicing 101:

How to Get Started Juicing

After watching the documentary Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead this past Christmas, my husband and I decided that we would start juicing to kick-start a new health regime .

Our family maintains a fairly healthy lifestyle and diet but there is always room for improvement. Our idea for juicing was to incorporate more “micronutrients” (vitamins and minerals, as opposed to macronutrients like protein, carbohydrates, etc.)  into our diet.

We discovered that juicing is a fairly simple process and here is how you can get started…

Step 1- Do a little research

There are many websites that discuss the pros and cons of juicing, just do a web search on the word “juicing.” After researching, we decided that we would not juice to replace any meals, but just in addition to what we already eat for the health benefits.  We learned there is a lot of fiber and additional vitamins found in the pulp and skin of whole fruit and veggies.

Step 2- Buy your equipment

A trip to Target to buy a juicer and we were on our way. Any juicer will work, in my humble opinion. We happened to have a gift card from Target, so that’s where I went.  I bought a DASH juicer for $100 and it works well.  The Breville also gets great reviews. Or if you really want to invest you can try the Vitamix (at Costco), which actually pulverizes the whole fruit so the pulp and fiber are included.

Step 3- Find yummy recipes and juice!

This is the super fun and creative part. There are countless recipes online. We also asked a few friends for their favorite recipe and our juicer came with a few suggestions.

Next step was to stop off at a store to buy my ingredients.  I TRY to buy organic fruit but this is not always in the budget, so I just do my best.  I often buy apples and oranges in bulk, which is easier on the wallet.

Throw a bunch of fruit in the juicer and that’s all it takes.  You can be intentional about what type of fruits and veggies you choose and follow recipes or just use what you have left in your fridge; anything goes! 

Juicing is a great way to use up your produce that is about to go bad.  Each time, I try to throw some kind of green veggie in because of the amazing nutritional value in leafy greens.

My favorite juicing ingredients

Cucumber – love the fresh and clean taste, think SPA WATER

Ginger – MY ABSOLUTE FAVORITE because it adds a little “spicy”

Pears – sweeten up any recipe

Leafy greens, spinach or Kale - excellent source of vitamins, and you hardly taste them if you mix with fruit (be sure to put your leafy greens or anything that is less “juicy” in first, then the juice of the other fruit will help push the green nutrients through)

Favorite juicing recipes

(Serve 2 adults with a little left over for the kids)

Morning Fuel  -

This is a yummy recipe that came with the juicer called
½ cucumber, 1-2 oranges, 2 apples, 1 tsp ginger, 1 kiwi

Mean Green -

From Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead. It takes a little while to get used to but very good for you!
1 cucumber, 4 celery stalks, 2 apples, 6-8 leaves kale, 1/2 lemon (peeling optional but I peel!), 1 tbsp ginger

Kitchen Sink - 

Any fruit and veggies we have in the house- 2-3 oranges, 2 apples, ginger, handful of kale or spinach, 1 pear, 2 carrots

Step 4- Enjoy!

Share with your kids!!  Have them create some recipes.  Let us know what you try! Does anyone else have any favorite juicing tips or recipes to share?

The calendar still says May, but we’ve had some beautiful, beach-worthy days here in Southern California. It’s got me thinking of restocking my beach day essentials and heading to the ocean with my kids. So, today I’m highlighting just a few of my favorite things to pack for a (stress free!) beach day with kids.

Beach Day Essentials for Moms

Brush on Block
I love this sunscreen for both my kids and myself. It’s easy to apply and not greasy and doesn’t get in anyone’s eyes. I usually do apply SPF before we leave the house and then take the brush on sunscreen for an easy, no hassle reapply when we’re out.

Melissa and Doug Sand Toys
We received this cupcake sand toy set a few years ago and it is such a hit with kids of all ages. The hardest thing is remembering to pick up all the pieces when I leave.

Baggu
Are you guys familiar with this great line of bags? They’re perfect to have in the car for running errands, and I always take some to the beach to wrap up our wet, sandy items. The bags are machine washable too so they’re easy to clean!

Turkish Towels
My dear friend was born and raised in Turkey and introduced me to these amazing, lightweight Turkish towels. They absorb water surprising fast and dry quickly, while taking up MUCH less space than traditional beach towels. I found these on Etsy, but Bed Bath and Beyond carry a similar style.

Cozy Kids’ Cover-up
J.Crew carries great beach cover-ups for kids and this one happens to be on sale right now. No matter how hot it seems when we leave the house I’m always disappointed if I forget to bring something cozy to wrap around my kids at the end of the day.

Folding Utility Wagon
My husband purchased this wagon two summers ago and we always get asked where we got it when we’re out on the beach. It’s very sturdy and we can put both kids and supplies in it for easy transportation on and off the beach. PS. Pulling it with two kids and supplies is also a great workout!

What are your favorite items for a day at the beach with your kids? Do you have any tips on how to make a beach outing stress free? I’d also love to hear your favorite local beach for kids, I’m always on the hunt for new places.