Tiny Oranges – Fresh, fun blog for OC moms

This guest blog arrived in my email box last night and I am so grateful it did because I did not have a post ready for today!  Emma got hit with a bad respiratory virus early this week, then baby Morgan got it a few days later.  Awful! The only thing worse than one sick kid is two sick kids!  So thank you Katie from OC Mom’s Activity Guide for saving my day and giving me a fabulous guest post!

OC Mom’s Activity Guide is a fabulous local blog dedicated to {you guessed it!} fun activities and favorite finds for OC moms and their families.  Katie wrote some great tips on taking your kids tide pooling in Orange County.

Here is what Katie writes…

“The beach has always been a destination for our family.  To be honest my oldest sons’ first trip to the beach was when he was less than a week old, ok… so he never left the Baby Bjorn, but still he was at the beach.

Once the boys were steady on their feet and able to explore a bit, we found ourselves venturing in to the world of tide pooling.  We absolutely love checking out the tide pools to see what kind of sea creatures we can find, whether it is a sea anemone, a crab or some other fish, there is always something fun to find and the boys never get tired of it.

We have fabulous beaches to explore here in Southern California, places like Aliso Creek Beach, Crystal Cove (on the border of Newport and Laguna), Montage Beach and more.

The biggest piece of advice I have is to be sure to check when low tide is (you can do this on any weather website or weather App for your phone), it will make or break your adventure.  If you can time it just right to hit the beach at low tide, you will have the best opportunity to scope out the best tide pools.

Items I recommend you bring…

*  Sunscreen (even on cloudy days)

*  Water sandals or flip flops for those with sensitive feet

*  Towels, swimsuits, etc. in case you get caught off guard by a wave

*  I also recommend a life vest for the little ones if you are taking more than one kid.  It will give you peace of mind; this is from first-hand experience!

This picture above is from our recent trek to Crystal Cove Beach.  It’s quite a walk down (and parking costs $15), but even in the peak summer months, it isn’t super crowded.   At low tide there are TONS of exposed tide pools that the kids love exploring.”

Thanks again Katie!!!  We actually just visited Crystal Cove by the Crystal Cove Beach Cottages for a beach day last weekend. See Wednesday’s post with our adventures at the beach with a one-year-old! I also did a post eons ago about this beach…One of our favorite kid beaches in OC!  Next time we will have to check out the tide pooling with your great tips!

Where’s YOUR favorite beach in OC?

Katie is a full time working wife and mother of two active boys. When they aren’t riding the roller coasters at Disneyland or exploring the beaches, you can find Katie writing over at OCMomActivities. Find her on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook.

Since the weather is warming up (woo hoo!!)  and springtime is in the air, it’s the perfect week to get outdoors and take advantage of this fabulous weather.  I pulled out my flip flops today and painted my toes red to celebrate!   Yippee!

Here is an awesome guest blog written by Stroller Suspenders on the “Best OC Spots to Stroll.” Perfect timing for this gorgeous week.

Stroller Suspenders are suspenders that are designed to secure a baby blanket in position to cover the stroller for warmth, shade or privacy.  They are great for traveling or strolling around the block. They come in a variety of colors to coordinate with your blankets and strollers and are reasonably priced.  The Basic Series is $9.99 and Designer Series is $18.00. Click HERE to visit their website.

Best OC Spots to Stroll

Balboa Island – When in doubt, this is our “go to” walk. Not only is it beautiful to be right on the bay, but if you do both Islands it is almost 3 miles. Kids love the boats, dogs and the Balboa Island Fire Station.  Reward yourself with a latte afterwards.

The Castaway’s Loop – This is an easy walk that lets you feel the ocean breeze while getting a great view of the Harbor.  Bonus: After your walk, stop at the Bob Henry Park for some extra play time.

Dana Point Harbor – Stroll along this scenic path and watch the ships roll in.

The Circle in Old Town Orange – From the vintage Drug Store fountain shop to the beautiful antiques and made over service station turned café, this is a great place to stroll, shop and get a taste of OC history.

Irvine Regional Park – Stroll along with the wild peacocks through the beautiful oak tree lined paths then take a ride on the train and/or the ponies, play at one of the many play areas, have a picnic lunch and don’t leave without visiting the bears at the Zoo!

Main Beach in Laguna -  No place is better for an early morning or late afternoon walk than this beach but you must have a good running stroller so your wheels don’t get stuck in the sand.

Woodbridge Lake, Irvine – The kids will get a kick out of feeding the ducks and swans as you stroll lakeside in Irvine.

Mission San Juan Capistrano – Take in some of California’s rich history, stroll the great shops and restaurants along Camino Capistrano.

Crystal Cove – If you are looking for a short stroll, park your car and walk down to the beach, making a stop at the Beachcomber for breakfast, lunch or dinner or just play on the sand. Don’t be fooled by the short distance. The walk up the hill to get back to your car will have you feeling the burn.

Your neighborhood – For when you need to quickly get out of the house before the kids meltdown, walk around your own neighborhood.  It is the best way to get ideas for your future dream home and get fresh air at the same time!

This great find was sent to me by a fellow mommy blogger named Julie.  I think this is the CUTEST idea!  Here is what she writes..

“You know those nostalgic moments when you go in the basement of your parent’s house, dust off the old photo albums, flip through the 2×4″ sepia pictures, and smile at each one, trying to remember where you were and when it was? Our children realize how lucky they are to have digital cameras today. I can take six of the same photographs of my daughter. She smiles in half and of the half, her eyes were open in only one. So that’s the one I print! The one in my old photo album? The only one my mother took: Not smiling, eyes closed. And I don’t have a clue how old I was. I guess 6 months. My mother tells me I was more like 1. Ugh…

So imagine my delight when I found Picky Sticky: round stickers, 4″ in diameter, that announce ages (0-12 months; 1-12 years), celebratory months, and even count progress of pregnancy by the week. Picky Sticky comes in girl-friendly and boy-friendly.

How it works: Step 1) Get baby;   Step 2) Put baby in onesie (white works best);   Step 3) Put said sticker on said onesie;   Step 4) Take picture (or 6, if you’re like me). VOILA!

This is my daughter, Hailey, sporting Month 3′s sticker.

I actually did get some of her smiling, but I think she looks like a little doll here (Ahh, she melts me).

Pros: Different colors; Different Styles; Easy to use; No sewing, tape (or anything else crazy!) required; Comes on easily/comes off easily

Cons: What cons? (No, I don’t work for them…!)

So for less than $20.00, you can record your child’s milestones through a photograph (or yours if you’re pregnant!). What better way to truly capture a moment. LOVE THESE.”

Visit Julie’s blog, Farber Family Adventures, for more product reviews, giveaways, and to see her Hailey’s version of the old dusty sepia colored photo album!!

This is an awesome find by a local mom!   She writes…

“I’m a breastfeeding mom to a 10 week old and just started the Stroller Strides workout.   It’s a great way to get out and get active again and take my baby with me!  So, I’m sure I’m not alone feeling a bit of pain in the chest area when I started working out again 6 weeks postpartum.  That stretched out jog bra from BEFORE I was pregnant just doesn’t quite cut it anymore!  Plus, during my maternity leave, I’m finding I’m in my workout clothes for a good part of the day.  I always have good intentions that I’ll get out for that walk soon!  My Stroller Strides instructor recommended the Fiona bra by Moving Comfort.  I found it at Roadrunner Sports in Laguna Hills or many online retailers. It’s a bit on the pricey side, but WELL worth it!  The velcro straps come down easily and also adjust if you need a bit more or less support.  It think it will be great even when not breastfeeding for this reason. It also comes in sizes up to DD/E, which is hard to find in a jog bra.  So, happy pain-free running to new mommies!!”

Hey mamas!  Have a tip to share?  Want to be a guest blogger?  Email me at jennifer@tinyoranges.com  and let me know!

Since the holidays are right around the corner, Jenny of the fabulous Jenner Rose Photography wrote me a guest blog on the importance of a holiday picture!  She is offering an amazing mini holiday session deal right now – details below. Here is what she writes:

The importance of the Holiday picture

“Ok I admit it.  I am a picture junkie.  If there was a twelve step program for this sort of thing I probably should have taken it a long time ago.  I guess it is only fitting that I ended up as a photographer.

December is a time for a lot of good things, but for me the best part happens to be the collections of pictures I get in the mail.  I get giddy every time I hear that magical little mail truck leave my house.  I run out grab the newest stack of holiday cards and rip them open as fast as I can like a little kid on Christmas morning.  When I open a Holiday card and there isn’t a picture I’m still like the kid on Christmas morning who is expecting that exciting, awesome toy but instead it turns out to be a shirt..

Most of us have facebook pages and e-mail accounts and now get tons of picture updates year round, but we never print them out.  I know some people think, ”I just posted pictures.  Why should I send one out?”  My answer to that is:  tradition.  I love the old fashion feeling of hanging all the pictures up in my house during the month of December (sometimes longer, for the ones I really like).  In today’s technical world sometimes it’s just nice to go back to the way things use to be.

So please, please, please….before you seal that envelope make sure there is a picture in there.  It doesn’t even have to be done by a professional (but it doesn’t hurt ).  I just want to see you, your kids, and even your dog, smiling back at me…  year after year after year. “

Jenny still has a limited amount of spots available for her  holiday mini sessions (but they are going quick – so book as soon as possible!)  The session is $100 and includes an online gallery and CD of 10 – 15 images.   For a full description of what this mini session includes, click HERE.  Make sure to visit her blog and check out her fabulous work!

For information on her packages all year round contact Jenny at jenny@jennerrose.com or 949.306.1087.

www.jennerrose.com