Tiny Oranges – Fresh, fun blog for OC moms

My oldest daughter, Emma, has taken dance classes at Tiffany’s Dance Academy of Costa Mesa for the past two years and we absolutely love their program so I wanted to share it with you as their 2012/13 season opens for registration on Tuesday, April 24th. The next season starts on July 9th.

The studio offers dance instruction and classes for all ages and abilities in Ballet, Tap, Jazz, Lyrical and Hip Hop. The studio is owned by Tiffany Henderson and Directed by Christie Ball.

Their children’s programs include Twinkle Babies Dance™ , a 30-minute class for 2 – 3 year olds and Twinkle Stars Dance™  which are 45-minute classes for ages 3 – 4, 4-5 and 5-6.

My daughter took a Twinkle Stars Ballet/Tap combo last year and this year she is in Twinkle Stars Pre Jazz. The classes are once a week and the season ends with a recital in June. The recital last year quite simply was one of the cutest things EVER! My cheeks hurt from smiling so much. It was so cute to see my shy little girl get up there on the stage and shine. I think dance is so amazing for developing self-confidence in girls.

What I love the most is that the classes are FUN, yet also structured and educational. They are expected to listen and follow instruction, yet it is done in a caring way. My daughter adores going to class every week.

It is in an convenient location on 17th Street in Costa Mesa, easy access to the freeway and close to Newport Beach, Corona del Mar, Huntington Beach, Santa Ana and Irvine.  In fact, many of the moms I have met in my daughter’s classes have driven from Irvine to take their little ones to Tiffany’s.

All the instructors are professionally trained and come with many years of teaching and performance experience. Their goal is to provide an education in dance that will foster a well-rounded, balanced dancer capable of performing dance to the highest standards.

And on a side note, as a mom I love how well run the studio is. They are great with communication on upcoming events and the recital is extremely well-organized. All our family members that came to watch the recital were so impressed. Can you imagine getting all those little ones on stage for number after number and being ON TIME? It was! Nothing short of a miracle.

For more information, you can call 949.574.4905. The schedule will be available to preview on Sunday, April 22nd, and again, registration for next year’s season opens on Tuesday, April 24th at 9am. You can call to register or also do it online HERE.

AND, don’t forget, you can click HERE to sign up to get a SquareSpot card for free per my last post using promo code TINYORANGES and Tiffany’s Dance Academy is running a deal if you are a SquareCard holder good for a free dance wear kit for Twinkle Babies and Twinkle Stars participants! BIG savings!!

 www.tiffanydance.com

Visit TDACostaMesa on Facebook

[Disclosure: As a result of Emma being a Tiffany's student, the studio subsequently became a Tiny Oranges Sponsor. All the opinions above are my genuine ones and we adore Tiffany's. You will too!]

Last week I checked off one of my Life List things. Life List = Bucket List but I prefer it as I think it sounds a little more uplifting, don’t you?!  And one of my Life List things was to take a horseback riding lesson.

(Side note: I had a bad experience on a horse one time on the beach in Ensenada when I was about 19 so I hadn’t been back in the saddle since and had always wanted to tackle this fear by taking a lesson the RIGHT WAY!)

And there is no better place in Orange County to do so than Ivy Gate Farm in San Juan Capistrano. Ivy Gate Farm is a hunter / jumper training facility in OC and trains people of all levels from children up to adults, beginner (like me) up to people that go to the top horse shows. I wrote about Ivy Gate HERE if you want more info on the amazing facility.

And it was completely exhilarating. I am also afraid it might be a tad addicting.  My experience is outlined in the short video above. Hope you enjoy!

[Disclosure: Ivy Gate Farm is a Tiny Oranges Sponsor.]

Today is my birthday (woo hoo) so I can’t think of a better way to celebrate than with one of my favorite giveaways – a week of Team OC Winter Camp 2011!

I know it is hard to wrap your head around the fact that before we know it the kids will be out of school for the holiday break.  If your kids are like mine and crave activities, this break can make for two very long weeks!

Team OC winter camp is the perfect opportunity for your child to have a blast when school is out and burn off some major energy with their plethora of fun activities.

The winter camp days are a combination of gymnastics, cheer, dance, trampoline, sports activities, arts and crafts, games, rockwall, zipline, and the AMAZING INDOOR BOUNCE HOUSE!

My daughter went last year and absolutely loved it and she will be going again this year too (hooray!)

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One of the things I love about my job is the fact that I get to learn about new things all the time.  Before this article, I didn’t know one thing about the equestrian world in OC, so when Ivy Gate Farm inquired about becoming a sponsor on Tiny Oranges, I thought what a unique place to be able to share with my readers!

I don’t know about you, but if my child exhibited an interest in horses and I wanted to sign her up for horse riding lessons, I wouldn’t know where to go.

That’s why I am very excited to introduce you to the fabulous Ivy Gate Farm nestled in the foothills of San Juan Capistrano, a family-oriented boutique farm offering riding lessons and training for those with a passion for horses.

I had the opportunity to visit in person last week and I was really looking forward to it because I had never been to a horse stable before.

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I had the pleasure of meeting artist Timree Gold of Timree Personalized Gifts and Art this summer at a Smarty networking meeting and I have to admit I was a little star struck as I have been a huge fan of her art and personalized gifts for years now!

When I met her in person it was easy to see why her work is so special and that is simply because Timree the person is special! She actually sparkles. From the twinkle in her eye to her bright smile and bubbly personality, to know Timree is to love her.  And when you look at her amazing, one-of-a-kind pieces you can see her happy personality shining through in every creation.

Timree shared with me that just this last year she opened an art studio in Newport Beach which has been coined the “cutest art studio ever!”

When I visited the studio myself last week, I could see Timree’s magic sparkle dust all over it, from the moment you pull up and breathe in the ocean air to the enchanting walk up the good luck steps (you have to go to see the steps for yourself) you feel like you are entering another magical little world.  Visiting her studio is an experience.

There is much to cover about Timree it is hard to know where to start!  From her personalized plates, unique gifts and school supplies to her custom murals and special live event painting, there are so many ways to experience her amazing work.

But for this post I wanted to highlight some very special offerings for OC moms and kids – most specifically –  Timree’s paint parties, cute classes and private art lessons.

Weekly Art Classes

Designed for ages 6 years and up, Timree offers weekly classes on Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons from 4:00 – 5:30pm.

Starting at the beginning of the month, the weekly sessions are only $175 for 4 classes and your child will receive personalized instruction from Timree and create their own masterpiece on the provided canvas.

I think this would be such an amazing class to enroll your kids in for the Fall after school starts.

Art is so therapeutic and what a wonderful way for your kids to express and channel their creativity while while easing into the hub-bub of the busy school year.

The next session begins on September 6th, so email soon if you are interested as spots fill up quickly!

Private Lessons with TIMREE!

Timree also provides private art lessons that are only $225 for 2 hours.

During that time, Timree will sit with you one-on-one and help you or your child create a piece that holds special meaning to you.

Whether it’s a special piece of art for a bedroom wall (you can bring pictures of the decor or bedding for inspiration) or a very special one-of-a-kind piece of art for a parent or grandparent as a special gift, the goal is to embrace the fun and creativity involved in painting and walk away with a completed painting that holds personal significance.

What an amazing gift for a milestone birthday or anniversary for the person who has everything!

There is truly no better gift than one that is hand made with love and to have personalized instruction from an artist I think is incredible!

Mother / Daughter Classes

On the 2nd Sunday of each month from 2 – 4pm, mothers and daughters can attend this special class together and create their own paintings based on one of Timree’s inspired themes. Timree provides not only the canvases, tips and themed-treats – but also a special afternoon of bonding while creating.  The next class is on September 11th and the theme is “basket of apples” to celebrate back-to-school time.  Only a few spots left so sign up ASAP if you are interested! Cost is only $65/pp.

Paint Parties!

How many times have you have looked for an original venue in Orange County to host your child’s birthday party because you are tired of the same ‘ole same ‘ole?  I know I have! Now you can book your party in the cutest art studio ever and give your guests a magically creative experience.

The parties are designed to be intimate in size for 4 to 14 guests ages 6 + and include:

- 2 hours of party studio time on weekdays after school or on Sundays
- Birthday girl (or boy!) picks the theme for the painting
- Friends all paint the same picture but can get creative with their colors
- $50 per guest / $300 minimum
- BYOT (bring your own treats!)

You can also gather a group of friends for a mom’s night out!  Inquire for more details.

“Timree jeans”

For all Timree’s paint parties and classes she encourages the girls to wear special “Timree jeans” which are fun painting jeans, jean shorts or jean skirts that can get deliciously splashed with creativity.

She told me the girls love wearing their “Timree jeans” and she will personally sign the back.

This art studio is truly one of a kind. As is Timree.  She reminds me of a Disney Princess in the most flattering of ways. I guarantee your girls will be completely enchanted by her and her studio.

For more information or to sign up for private lessons, classes or parties,  contact Timree at timree {at} timree.com.

www.timree.com
Follow Timree on Facebook and Twitter.

[Disclosure: Timree is a new Tiny Oranges Sponsor. Look for her banner ad coming up on September 1st. Hooray!]